Systems and methods for selecting, activating, or selecting and activating transducers

ABSTRACT

Transducer-based systems can be configured to display a graphical representation of a transducer-based device, the graphical representation including graphical elements corresponding to transducers of the transducer-based device, and also including between graphical elements respectively associated with a set of the transducers and respectively associated with a region of space between the transducers of the transducer-based device. Selection of a between graphical element can cause activation of the set of transducers associated with the selected between graphical element. Selection of a plurality of between graphical elements and graphical elements can cause visual display of a corresponding activation path in the graphical representation. Visual characteristics of graphical elements and between graphical elements can change based on an activation-status of the corresponding transducers. Activation requests for a set of transducers can be denied if it is determined that a transducer in the set of transducers is unacceptable for activation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of each of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/649,734, filed May 21, 2012; U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/670,881, filed Jul. 12, 2012; and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/723,311, filed Nov. 6, 2012. The entire disclosure ofeach of the applications cited in this paragraph is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of this disclosure generally are related to systems and methodsfor selecting, activating, or selecting and activating transducers, suchsystems and methods applicable to, among other things, medical systems.

BACKGROUND

Cardiac surgery was initially undertaken using highly invasive openprocedures. A sternotomy, which is a type of incision in the center ofthe chest that separates the sternum was typically employed to allowaccess to the heart. In the past several decades, more and more cardiacoperations are performed using intravascular or percutaneous techniques,where access to inner organs or other tissue is gained via a catheter.

Intravascular or percutaneous surgeries benefit patients by reducingsurgery risk, complications and recovery time. However, the use ofintravascular or percutaneous technologies also raises some particularchallenges. Medical devices used in intravascular or percutaneoussurgery need to be deployed via catheter systems which significantlyincrease the complexity of the device structure. As well, doctors do nothave direct visual contact with the medical devices once the devices arepositioned within the body.

One example of where intravascular or percutaneous medical techniqueshave been employed is in the treatment of a heart disorder called atrialfibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a disorder in which spuriouselectrical signals cause an irregular heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation hasbeen treated with open heart methods using a technique known as the“Cox-Maze procedure”. During this procedure, physicians create specificpatterns of lesions in the left and right atria to block various pathstaken by the spurious electrical signals. Such lesions were originallycreated using incisions, but are now typically created by ablating thetissue with various techniques including radio-frequency (RF) energy,microwave energy, laser energy and cryogenic techniques. The procedureis performed with a high success rate under the direct vision that isprovided in open procedures, but is relatively complex to performintravascularly or percutaneously because of the difficulty in creatingthe lesions in the correct locations. Various problems, potentiallyleading to severe adverse results, may occur if the lesions are placedincorrectly. It is particularly important to know the position of thevarious transducers which will be creating the lesions relative tocardiac features such as the pulmonary veins and mitral valve. Thecontinuity, transmurality and placement of the lesion patterns that areformed can impact the ability to block paths taken within the heart byspurious electrical signals. Other requirements for various ones of thetransducers to perform additional functions such as, but not limited to,mapping various anatomical features, mapping electrophysiologicalactivity, sensing tissue characteristics such as impedance andtemperature and tissue stimulation can also complicate the operation ofthe employed medical device.

In this regard, there is a need for improved intra-bodily-cavitytransducer-based device systems or control mechanisms thereof withimproved performance and reduced complexity as compared to conventionaldevice systems.

SUMMARY

At least the above-discussed need is addressed and technical solutionsare achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. In someembodiments, device systems and methods executed by such systems exhibitenhanced capabilities for the activation of various transducers, whichmay be located within a bodily cavity, such as an intra-cardiac cavity.In some embodiments, the systems or a portion thereof may bepercutaneously or intravascularly delivered to position the varioustransducers within the bodily cavity. Various ones of the transducersmay be activated to distinguish tissue from blood and may be used todeliver positional information of the device relative to variousanatomical features in the bodily cavity, such as the pulmonary veinsand mitral valve in an atrium. Various ones of the transducers mayemploy characteristics such as blood flow detection, impedance changedetection or deflection force detection to discriminate between bloodand tissue. Various ones of the transducers may be used to treat tissuewithin a bodily cavity. Treatment may include tissue ablation by way ofnon-limiting example. Various ones of the transducers may be used tostimulate tissue within the bodily cavity. Stimulation can includepacing by way of non-limiting example. Other advantages will becomeapparent from the teaching herein to those of skill in the art.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation system may be summarized asincluding a data processing device system, an input-output device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system, and amemory device system communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system and storing a program executable by the data processingdevice system. The program includes display instructions configured tocause the input-output device system to display a graphicalrepresentation of at least a portion of a transducer-based device, atleast part of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodilycavity. The graphical representation includes a first transducergraphical element, a second transducer graphical element, and a betweengraphical element. The first transducer graphical element is associatedwith a first transducer of the transducer-based device. The secondtransducer graphical element is associated with a second transducer ofthe transducer-based device different than and spaced apart from thefirst transducer. The between graphical element is associated with aregion of space between the first transducer and the second transducerof the transducer-based device, the region of space not including anytransducer. The program further includes selection instructionsconfigured to cause reception of a selection from the input-outputdevice system of the between graphical element and activationinstructions configured to, in response to receiving the selection,cause activation of the first transducer and the second transducer viathe input-output device system. In various ones of these embodiments,the region of space is not associated with any physical part of thetransducer-based device.

The program may further include instructions configured to, in responseto receiving the selection, cause the input-output device system tochange a visual characteristic of the between graphical element. Thegraphical representation may include a first spatial relationshipbetween the first transducer graphical element and the second transducergraphical element that is consistent with a second spatial relationshipbetween the corresponding first transducer and the second transducer ofthe transducer-based device.

The between graphical element may be a first between graphical elementand the graphical representation may further include a second betweengraphical element associated with a region of space between a pair oftransducers of the transducer-based device that is associated with aphysical part of the transducer-based device. The program may furtherinclude instructions configured to cause reception of a selection fromthe input-output device system of the second between graphical element,and instructions configured to, in response to receiving the selectionof the second between graphical element, cause activation of the pair oftransducers via the input-output device system. The program may furtherinclude instructions configured to, in response to receiving theselection of the second between graphical element, cause theinput-output device system to change a visual characteristic of thesecond between graphical element. The display instructions may includeinstructions configured to display the second transducer graphicalelement in a first direction from the first transducer graphicalelement. The first between graphical element may be between the secondtransducer graphical element and the first transducer graphical elementin the graphical representation and the second between graphical elementmay be between the second transducer graphical element and a thirdtransducer graphical element in the graphical representation. Thedisplay instructions may include instructions for displaying the thirdtransducer graphical element in a second direction from the secondtransducer graphical element. The first direction and the seconddirection may be non-parallel to each other. The first between graphicalelement may be formed, at least in part, at a location in the graphicalrepresentation intersected by the first direction from the firsttransducer graphical element and the second between graphical elementmay be formed, at least in part, at a location in the graphicalrepresentation intersected by the second direction from the secondtransducer graphical element. The first between graphical element mayinclude an elongate portion extending along the first direction and thesecond between graphical element may include an elongate portionextending along the second direction. The first direction and the seconddirection may be oblique to each other. The first direction and thesecond direction may form an acute angle with each other.

The program may further include instructions configured to, in responseto receiving the selection of the between graphical element, cause theinput-output device system to change a visual characteristic of thefirst transducer graphical element, the second transducer graphicalelement, or both the first transducer graphical element and the secondtransducer graphical element. In some embodiments, the selection may notinclude any user-selected transducer graphical element.

The input-output device system may include the transducer-based device.The transducer-based device may be a catheter device. The bodily cavitymay be an intra-cardiac cavity. The catheter device may include astructure that includes a plurality of elongate members, each elongatemember of the plurality of elongate members including a proximal end, adistal end, and an intermediate portion positioned between the proximaland the distal ends. The structure may be selectively moveable between adelivery configuration in which the structure is sized to bepercutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity and a deployedconfiguration in which the structure has a size too large to bepercutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity, the first and the secondtransducers located on different ones of the plurality of elongatemembers. The respective intermediate portion of each elongate member ofthe plurality of elongate members may include a thickness, a frontsurface, and a back surface opposite across the thickness from the frontsurface, and the respective intermediate portions of the plurality ofelongate members may be arranged front surface-toward-back surface in astacked array when the structure is in the delivery configuration. Thestructure may further include a proximal portion and a distal portion,each of the proximal and the distal portions including a respective partof each of the plurality of elongate members, the proximal portion ofthe structure forming a first domed shape and the distal portion of thestructure forming a second domed shape when the structure is in thedeployed configuration.

The catheter device may include a structure that includes a proximalportion and a distal portion. The structure may be selectively moveablebetween a delivery configuration in which the structure is sized forpercutaneous delivery to the bodily cavity, the structure arranged to beadvanced distal portion first into the bodily cavity and a deployedconfiguration in which the structure is sized too large to be deliveredpercutaneously to the bodily cavity. The proximal portion of thestructure may form a first domed shape and the distal portion of thestructure may form a second domed shape when the structure is in thedeployed configuration with the proximal and the distal portions of thestructure arranged in a clam shell configuration when the structure isin the deployed configuration.

The transducer-based device may include a structure that includes aplurality of elongate members. The between graphical element may be afirst between graphical element and the graphical representation mayfurther include a third transducer graphical element and a secondbetween graphical element, the third transducer graphical elementassociated with a third transducer of the transducer-based device andthe second between graphical element associated with a region of spacebetween the second transducer and the third transducer, the region ofspace between the second transducer and the third transducer notincluding any transducer. The second transducer and the third transducermay be located on a same elongate member of the plurality of elongatemembers and the first transducer and the second transducer may belocated on different elongate members of the plurality of elongatemembers.

The input-output device system may include an energy source devicesystem connected to the first transducer and the second transducer. Theactivation instructions may be further configured to cause energy fromthe energy source device system to be delivered to the first transducerand the second transducer in a manner that: (a) a portion of the energydelivered to the first transducer is transmitted by the firsttransducer, (b) a portion of the energy delivered to the secondtransducer is transmitted by the second transducer, or both (a) and (b).The activation instructions may be further configured to cause energyfrom the energy source device system to be delivered to the firsttransducer and the second transducer in a manner that, (a) a portion ofthe energy delivered to the first transducer is transmitted by the firsttransducer to the second transducer, or (b) a portion of the energydelivered to the second transducer is transmitted by the secondtransducer to the first transducer, or both (a) and (b). The activationinstructions may be further configured to cause energy from the energysource device system to be delivered to the first transducer and thesecond transducer, the energy sufficient to cause ablation of tissue inthe bodily cavity. The activation instructions may be further configuredto cause a portion of the energy delivered to the first transducer andthe second transducer to be delivered between the first transducer andthe second transducer across at least part of the region of space. Theenergy may be sufficient to cause bipolar ablation of the tissue in thebodily cavity. The first transducer may be adjacently spaced from thesecond transducer along a physical path extending between the firsttransducer and the second transducer over at least part of an opening ina surface structure of the catheter device, and the energy may besufficient to ablate a portion of the tissue extending along thephysical path.

The between graphical element may be a first between graphical elementof a group of between graphical elements included in the graphicalrepresentation, each between graphical element of the group of betweengraphical elements associated with a respective region of space betweentransducers of the transducer-based device that does not include anytransducer and is not associated with any physical part of thetransducer-based device. The program may further include determinationinstructions configured to cause determination, via input received fromthe input-output device system, of which of a plurality of regions ofspace, respectively between corresponding transducers of thetransducer-based device and respectively not associated with anyphysical part of the transducer-based device, are and which are notacceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers.The display instructions may be further configured to cause theinput-output device system to display the between graphical elementsassociated with the regions of space determined, according to thedetermination instructions, to be acceptable for activation of therespectively corresponding transducers with different visualcharacteristics than visual characteristics of the between graphicalelements associated with the regions of space determined, according tothe determination instructions, to be not acceptable for activation ofthe respectively corresponding transducers.

The between graphical element may be a first between graphical elementof a plurality of between graphical elements included in the graphicalrepresentation, each between graphical element of a first subset of theplurality of between graphical elements associated with a respectiveregion of space between transducers of the transducer-based device thatdoes not include any transducer and that is not associated with anyphysical part of the transducer-based device, and each between graphicalelement of a second subset of the plurality of between graphicalelements associated with a respective region of space betweentransducers of the transducer-based device that does not include anytransducer and that is associated with a physical part of thetransducer-based device. The program may further include determinationinstructions configured to cause determination, via input received fromthe input-output device system, of which of a plurality of regions ofspace, respectively between corresponding transducers of thetransducer-based device, are and which are not acceptable for activationof the respectively corresponding transducers. The display instructionsmay be further configured to cause the input-output device system todisplay the between graphical elements associated with the regions ofspace determined, according to the determination instructions, to beacceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducerswith different visual characteristics than visual characteristics of thebetween graphical elements associated with the regions of spacedetermined, according to the determination instructions, to be notacceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers.

The transducer-based device may be a catheter device and theinput-output device system may include an energy source device systemconnected to the transducers of the catheter device. The activationinstructions may be further configured to cause energy from the energysource device system to be delivered to each of the transducersassociated with the regions of space determined, according to thedetermination instructions, to be acceptable for activation of therespectively corresponding transducers, the energy sufficient to causeablation of tissue in the bodily cavity. The determination instructionsmay be further configured to require that, in order for a betweengraphical element to be determined to be associated with a region ofspace acceptable for the activation of the respectively correspondingtransducers, the corresponding region of space be determined to beassociated with an anatomical feature of the bodily cavity that isacceptable for the ablation of the tissue in the bodily cavity. Theactivation may include bipolar transducer activation, monopolartransducer activation, or both bipolar transducer activation andmonopolar transducer activation. The display instructions may be furtherconfigured to cause the input-output device system to display thebetween graphical elements only for the regions of space determined bythe determination instructions, to be acceptable for activation of therespectively corresponding transducers.

Each of the first transducer graphical element and the second transducergraphical element may form part of a plurality of transducer graphicalelements included in the graphical representation, each of thetransducer graphical elements associated with a respective transducer ofa plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device, the pluralityof transducers arranged in a spaced apart distribution. The betweengraphical element may be a first between graphical element of aplurality of between graphical elements included in the graphicalrepresentation, each of the between graphical elements associated with arespective region of space between a corresponding pair of thetransducers in the spaced apart distribution, each pair of thetransducers in the spaced apart distribution having at least onedifferent transducer than another of the other pairs of the transducersin the spaced apart distribution, each respective region of space notincluding any transducer. The selection instructions may be furtherconfigured to cause reception of independent selections from theinput-output device system of each of at least two of the plurality ofbetween graphical elements, the corresponding pairs of the transducersin the spaced apart distribution associated with the selected at leasttwo of the plurality of between graphical elements having a sametransducer. The activation instructions may be further configured tocause activation, via the input-output device system, of eachcorresponding pair of the transducers in the spaced apart distributionassociated with the selected at least two of the plurality of betweengraphical elements.

The transducers in the spaced apart distribution associated with theselected at least two of the between graphical elements may be selectedtransducers. The input-output device system may include an energy sourcedevice system connected to at least the selected transducers and theactivation instructions may further include instructions configured tocause the energy source device system to deliver energy to the selectedtransducers. The transducer-based device may be a catheter device andthe energy may be sufficient for ablating tissue.

Each pair of transducers associated with the selected at least two ofthe between graphical elements may be a selected pair of transducers.The transducer-based device may be a catheter device and the bodilycavity may be an intra-cardiac cavity. Each transducer in each selectedpair of transducers may be configured to detect electrophysiologicalactivity in the intra-cardiac cavity at a location at least proximatethe transducer in the selected pair of transducers, and the activationinstructions may be further configured to respectively cause generationof a combined electrogram from each selected pair of transducers basedat least on electrophysiological activity data received from thetransducers of the selected pair of transducers.

The selected at least two of the plurality of between graphical elementsmay include the first between graphical element and a second betweengraphical element, the second between graphical element associated witha region of space between a pair of transducers of the transducer-baseddevice that does not include any transducer and is associated with aphysical part of the transducer-based device.

The program may further include instructions configured to causegeneration of a combined electrogram from both the first transducer andthe second transducer. The activation instructions may be furtherconfigured to cause bipolar activation between the first and the secondtransducers. The first transducer graphical element may have a differentsize than the second transducer graphical element, the different sizescorresponding to respectively different sizes of the first transducerand the second transducer.

Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all thosesummarized above.

In some embodiments, a catheter device system may be summarized asincluding a catheter device that includes a plurality of transducers anda structure that includes one or more surfaces, at least a portion ofthe one or more surfaces defining one or more openings in the structure.The plurality of transducers are arranged on the structure in a spacedapart distribution that is positionable within a bodily cavity, thespaced apart distribution including at least a first transducer, asecond transducer, and a third transducer. The first transducer isadjacently spaced from the second transducer along a first physical pathextending between the second and the first transducers, at least part ofthe first physical path extending over at least part of an opening ofthe one or more openings in the structure. The third transducer isadjacently spaced from the second transducer along a second physicalpath extending between the second and the third transducers over atleast part of the one or more surfaces. The second physical path isnon-parallel with the first physical path. The catheter device systemfurther includes a data processing device system, an input-output devicesystem that includes the catheter device and is communicativelyconnected to the data processing device system, a display device system,an energy source device system, and a memory device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system andstoring a program. The program is executable by the data processingdevice system to cause the catheter device system to execute a method ofactivating at least some of a plurality of transducers of the catheterdevice. The method may be summarized as including generating an imagevia the display device system, the image at least depicting a spatialrelationship between at least some of the transducers in the spacedapart distribution, the image including a plurality of transducergraphical elements and a plurality of between graphical elements. Eachof the transducer graphical elements is associated with a respective oneof the at least some of the transducers in the spaced apartdistribution.

Each of the between graphical elements includes a first end, a secondend, and an elongate portion extending between the first and the secondends. A first one of the plurality of between graphical elements isrepresentative of the first physical path and a second one of theplurality of between graphical elements representative of the secondphysical path, the elongate portions of the first and the second ones ofthe plurality of between graphical elements depicted extending alongnon-parallel directions at respective locations at least proximate therespective transducer graphical element associated with the secondtransducer. The method further includes processing one or moreoperations of the input-output device system according to a selectionmode configured to allow a selection of at least the first one of theplurality of between graphical elements, and processing one or moreoperations of the input-output device system according to an activationmode configured to activate a pair of the transducers in the spacedapart distribution in response to the selection of the first one of theplurality of between graphical elements to cause energy provided by theenergy source device system to be delivered to the pair of thetransducers in the spaced apart distribution, the energy sufficient forablating tissue along the first physical path represented by the firstone of the plurality of between graphical elements in the selection.

The elongate portions of the first and the second ones of the pluralityof between graphical elements may be depicted extending obliquely withrespect to one another at the respective locations at least proximatethe respective transducer graphical element associated with the secondtransducer. The elongate portions of the first and the second ones ofthe plurality of between graphical elements may be depicted extendingwith respect to one another to define an acute angle therebetween.

The method may include causing the input-output device system to vary avisual characteristic of at least the first one of the plurality ofbetween graphical elements in response to the selection of the first oneof the plurality of between graphical elements. The method may furtherinclude causing the input-output device system to vary a visualcharacteristic of at least one of the respective transducer graphicalelements associated with the first transducer and the second transducerin response to the selection of the first one of the plurality ofbetween graphical elements. In some embodiments, the selection may notinclude any user-selected transducer graphical element.

The structure may include a plurality of elongate members, each elongatemember of the plurality of elongate members including a proximal end, adistal end and an intermediate portion positioned between the proximaland distal ends. The structure may be selectively moveable between adelivery configuration in which the structure is sized to bepercutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity and a deployedconfiguration in which the structure has a size too large to bepercutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity, the plurality oftransducers located on at least some of the plurality of elongatemembers. Each of the first transducer and the second transducer may belocated on a different elongate member of the at least some of theplurality of elongate members and each of the second transducer and thethird transducer may be located on a same elongate member of the atleast some of the plurality of elongate members. The respectiveintermediate portion of each elongate member of the plurality ofelongate members may include a thickness, a front surface and a backsurface opposite across the thickness from the front surface, and therespective intermediate portions of the plurality of elongate membersmay be arranged front surface-toward-back surface in a stacked arraywhen the structure is in the delivery configuration. The structure mayinclude a proximal portion and a distal portion, each of the proximaland the distal portions including a respective part of each of theplurality of elongate members, the proximal portion of the structureforming a first domed shape and the distal portion of the structureforming a second domed shape when the structure is in the deployedconfiguration.

A portion of the energy delivered to the pair of the transducers in thespaced apart distribution may be delivered between the transducers ofthe pair of the transducers in the spaced apart distribution.

Various methods may include combinations and subsets of all thosesummarized above.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation system may be summarized asincluding a data processing device system, an input-output device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system, and amemory device system communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system and storing a program executable by the data processingdevice system. The data processing device system is configured by theprogram at least to cause the input-output device system to display agraphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-baseddevice, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable withina bodily cavity, and the graphical representation including a firsttransducer graphical element, a second transducer graphical element, anda between graphical element. The first transducer graphical element isassociated with a first transducer of the transducer-based device, thesecond transducer graphical element is associated with a secondtransducer of the transducer-based device different than and spacedapart from the first transducer, and the between graphical elementassociated with a region of space between the first transducer and thesecond transducer of the transducer-based device, the region of spacenot including any transducer. The data processing device system isfurther configured by the program at least to receive a selection fromthe input-output device system of the between graphical element, andcause activation, in response to receiving the selection, of the firsttransducer and the second transducer via the input-output device system.The region of space may not be associated with any physical part of thetransducer-based device. In some embodiments, the selection may notinclude any user-selected transducer graphical element.

In some embodiments, a memory device system is communicatively connectedto a data processing device system, and the data processing devicesystem is further communicatively connected to an input-output devicesystem. A transducer-activation method executed by a data processingdevice system according to a program stored by the memory device systemmay be summarized as including causing the input-output device system todisplay a graphical representation of at least a portion of atransducer-based device, at least part of the transducer-based devicepositionable within a bodily cavity. The graphical representationincludes a first transducer graphical element, a second transducergraphical element, and a between graphical element, the first transducergraphical element associated with a first transducer of thetransducer-based device, the second transducer graphical elementassociated with a second transducer of the transducer-based devicedifferent than and spaced apart from the first transducer, and thebetween graphical element associated with a region of space between thefirst transducer and the second transducer of the transducer-baseddevice, the region of space not including any transducer. The methodfurther includes receiving a selection from the input-output devicesystem of the between graphical element, and causing activation, inresponse to receiving the selection, of the first transducer and thesecond transducer via the input-output device system. The region ofspace may not be associated with any physical part of thetransducer-based device. In some embodiments, the selection may notinclude any user-selected transducer graphical element.

In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium system may besummarized as including one or more computer-readable storage mediumsstoring a program executable by one or more data processing devices of adata processing device system communicatively connected to aninput-output device system. The program includes a display moduleconfigured to cause the input-output device system to display agraphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-baseddevice, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable withina bodily cavity. The graphical representation includes a firsttransducer graphical element, a second transducer graphical element, anda between graphical element, the first transducer graphical elementassociated with a first transducer of the transducer-based device, thesecond transducer graphical element associated with a second transducerof the transducer-based device different than and spaced apart from thefirst transducer, and the between graphical element associated with aregion of space between the first transducer and the second transducerof the transducer-based device, the region of space not including anytransducer. The program further includes a selection module configuredto cause reception of a selection from the input-output device system ofthe between graphical element, and an activation module configured to,in response to receiving the selection, cause activation of the firsttransducer and the second transducer via the input-output device system.The region of space may not be associated with any physical part of thetransducer-based device. In some embodiments, the selection may notinclude any user-selected transducer graphical element. In someembodiments, the computer-readable storage medium system is anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium system including one ormore non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing theprogram.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation system may be summarized asincluding a data processing device system, an input-output device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system, and amemory device system communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system and storing a program executable by the data processingdevice system. The program includes graphical interface instructionsconfigured to cause the input-output device system to display agraphical interface including a graphical representation of at leastsome of a plurality of graphical elements, each of the plurality ofgraphical elements respectively associated with a respective one of aplurality of transducer sets, each respective transducer set includingat least one of a plurality of transducers included as part of atransducer-based device, and each respective transducer set having atleast one different transducer than another of the other transducersets. The program includes input instructions configured to causereception of transducer data via the input-output device system, thetransducer data indicating data acquired by the plurality oftransducers. The program includes identification instructions configuredto cause identification of ablation-ready transducers of the pluralityof transducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of spacedeemed, based at least on an analysis of the transducer data, acceptablefor ablation, and not-ablation-ready transducers of the plurality oftransducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of space deemed,based at least on the analysis of the transducer data, not acceptablefor ablation. The graphical interface includes a first set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with each of the transducers sets that include theablation-ready transducers, and includes a second set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with the transducer sets that include the not-ablation-readytransducers, the first set of visual characteristics being differentthan the second set of visual characteristics. The program includesablation request instructions configured to cause reception of anablation request from the input-output device system, the ablationrequest configured to request ablation by at least some of the pluralityof transducers. The program further includes activation instructionsconfigured to, in response to receiving the ablation request from theinput-output device system, cause energy from an energy source devicesystem to be delivered to each of the plurality of ablation-readytransducers in the at least some of the plurality of transducers, andnon-activation instructions configured to cause prevention of deliveryof energy from the energy source device system to each of the pluralityof not-ablation-ready transducers.

The ablation request instructions may be configured to cause receptionof a selection from the input-output device system of the graphicalelements associated with the respective transducer sets including the atleast some of the plurality of transducers.

Each transducer set may include a single transducer of the plurality oftransducers. Each transducer set may include at least a pair of theplurality of transducers. The plurality of transducers may be arrangedin a distribution, the plurality of transducers positionable within abodily cavity, and each pair of the plurality of transducers may be apair of adjacent transducers in the distribution. Each of thetransducers in the distribution may be spaced apart from each of theother transducers in the distribution.

The first set of visual characteristics may be associated only with thegraphical elements that are associated with the transducer sets eachconsisting of transducers identified by the identification instructionsas only being ablation-ready transducers. The second set of visualcharacteristics may be associated only with the graphical elements thatare associated with the transducer sets each having at least onetransducer identified by the identification instructions as being anot-ablation-ready transducer. The graphical interface instructions maybe further configured to cause the input-output device system to displayonly the graphical elements associated with transducer sets consistingof transducers identified by the identification instructions as onlybeing ablation-ready transducers.

The at least some of the plurality of transducers may be anablation-requested transducer set. The program may further includedetermination instructions configured to cause determination of whetherthe ablation-requested transducer set includes a not-ablation-readytransducer, and ablation denial instructions configured to, if it isdetermined according to the determination instructions that theablation-requested transducer set includes the not-ablation-readytransducer, cause denial of the ablation request, at least with respectto the not-ablation-ready transducer in the ablation-requestedtransducer set. The program may further include determinationinstructions configured to cause determination of whether theablation-requested transducer set includes a not-ablation-readytransducer, and ablation denial instructions configured to cause denialof the ablation request if it is determined according to thedetermination instructions that the ablation-requested transducer setincludes the not-ablation-ready transducer.

The input-output device system may include the transducer-based device.The transducer-based device may be a catheter device with a portionthereof sized to be positionable within a bodily cavity. The bodilycavity may be an intra-cardiac cavity. The catheter device may include astructure that includes a plurality of elongate members, each elongatemember of the plurality of elongate members including a proximal end, adistal end and an intermediate portion positioned between the proximaland the distal ends. The structure may be selectively moveable between adelivery configuration in which the structure is sized to bepercutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity and a deployedconfiguration in which the structure has a size too large to bepercutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity, the plurality oftransducers located on at least some of the plurality of elongatemembers. At least one of the transducer sets may include at least twotransducers identified by the identification instructions as beingnot-ablation-ready transducers, the at least two transducers located ondifferent elongate members of the at least some of the plurality ofelongate members. The respective intermediate portion of each elongatemember of the plurality of elongate members may include a thickness, afront surface, and a back surface opposite across the thickness from thefront surface, and the respective intermediate portions of the pluralityof elongate members may be arranged front surface-toward-back surface ina stacked array when the structure is in the delivery configuration. Thestructure may further include a proximal portion and a distal portion,each of the proximal and the distal portions including a respective partof each of the plurality of elongate members, the proximal portion ofthe structure forming a first domed shape and the distal portion of thestructure forming a second domed shape when the structure is in thedeployed configuration.

The catheter device may include a structure that includes a proximalportion and a distal portion. The structure may be selectively moveablebetween a delivery configuration in which the structure is sized forpercutaneous delivery to the bodily cavity, the structure arranged to beadvanced distal portion first into the bodily cavity, and a deployedconfiguration in which the structure is sized too large to be deliveredpercutaneously to the bodily cavity. The proximal portion of thestructure may form a first domed shape and the distal portion of thestructure may form a second domed shape when the structure is in thedeployed configuration, the proximal and the distal portions of thestructure arranged in a clam shell configuration when the structure isin the deployed configuration.

The plurality of transducers may be arranged in a distribution, theplurality of transducers positionable within a bodily cavity. Thetransducer data may include data associated with an electricalcharacteristic of tissue in the bodily cavity. The electricalcharacteristic may be an electrical impedance of the tissue in thebodily cavity. The transducer data may include data associated with aflow characteristic of fluid in the bodily cavity.

The plurality of transducers may be arranged in a distribution, theplurality of transducers positionable within a bodily cavity. Theidentification instructions may include instructions configured to causea requirement that, in order for a region of space to be deemedacceptable for ablation, the region of space be determined, based atleast on the analysis of the transducer data, to be associated with atissue in the bodily cavity that is acceptable for ablation, and theidentification instructions may further include instructions configuredto cause a requirement that, in order for a region of space to be deemednot acceptable for ablation, the region of space be determined, based atleast on the analysis of the transducer data, to be associated with atissue in the bodily cavity that is not acceptable for ablation. Thebodily cavity may be an intra-cardiac cavity and the tissue in thebodily cavity that is not acceptable for ablation may be blood. Theidentification instructions may include instructions configured to causea requirement that, in order for a region of space to be deemedacceptable for ablation, the region of space be determined, based atleast on the analysis of the transducer data, to be associated with ananatomical feature of the bodily cavity that is acceptable for ablation,and the identification instructions may further include instructionsconfigured to cause a requirement that, in order for a region of spaceto be deemed not acceptable for ablation, the region of space bedetermined, based at least on the analysis of the transducer data, to beassociated with an anatomical feature of the bodily cavity that is notacceptable for ablation. The plurality of transducers may be arranged ina distribution, the plurality of transducers positionable within abodily cavity that includes a tissue wall surface interrupted by one ormore ports in fluid communication with the bodily cavity. Theidentification instructions may include instructions configured to causea requirement that, in order for a region of space to be deemed notacceptable for ablation, the region of space be determined, based atleast on the analysis of the transducer data, to overlie at least partof a port of the one or more ports.

Each respective transducer set may have at least one differenttransducer than each of the other transducer sets.

Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all thosesummarized above.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation system may be summarized asincluding a data processing device system, an input-output device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system, and amemory device system communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system and storing a program executable by the data processingdevice system. The data processing device system is configured by theprogram at least to cause the input-output device system to display agraphical interface including a graphical representation of at leastsome of a plurality of graphical elements, each of the plurality ofgraphical elements respectively associated with a respective one of aplurality of transducer sets. Each respective transducer set includes atleast one of a plurality of transducers included as part of atransducer-based device, and each respective transducer set has at leastone different transducer than another of the other transducer sets. Thedata processing device system is configured by the program at least toreceive transducer data via the input-output device system, thetransducer data indicating data acquired by the plurality oftransducers. The data processing device system is configured by theprogram at least to identify ablation-ready transducers of the pluralityof transducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of spacedeemed, based at least on an analysis of the transducer data, acceptablefor ablation, and not-ablation-ready transducers of the plurality oftransducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of space deemed,based at least on the analysis of the transducer data, not acceptablefor ablation. The graphical interface includes a first set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with each of the transducers sets that include theablation-ready transducers, and includes a second set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with the transducer sets that include the not-ablation-readytransducers, the first set of visual characteristics being differentthan the second set of visual characteristics. The data processingdevice system is configured by the program at least to receive anablation request from the input-output device system, the ablationrequest configured to request ablation by at least some of the pluralityof transducers. The data processing device system is configured by theprogram at least to cause, in response to receiving the ablation requestfrom the input-output device system, energy from an energy source devicesystem to be delivered to each of the plurality of ablation-readytransducers in the at least some of the plurality of transducers, andprevent delivery of energy from the energy source device system to eachof the plurality of not-ablation-ready transducers.

In some embodiments, a memory device system is communicatively connectedto a data processing device system, the data processing device systemfurther communicatively connected to an input-output device system. Atransducer-activation method executed by the data processing devicesystem according to a program stored by the memory device system may besummarized as including causing the input-output device system todisplay a graphical interface including a graphical representation of atleast some of a plurality of graphical elements, each of the pluralityof graphical elements respectively associated with a respective one of aplurality of transducer sets, each respective transducer set includingat least one of a plurality of transducers included as part of atransducer-based device, and each respective transducer set having atleast one different transducer than another of the other transducersets. The transducer-activation method includes receiving transducerdata via the input-output device system, the transducer data indicatingdata acquired by the plurality of transducers. The transducer-activationmethod includes identifying ablation-ready transducers of the pluralityof transducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of spacedeemed, based at least on an analysis of the transducer data, acceptablefor ablation, and not-ablation-ready transducers of the plurality oftransducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of space deemed,based at least on the analysis of the transducer data, not acceptablefor ablation. The graphical interface includes a first set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with each of the transducers sets that includes theablation-ready transducers, and includes a second set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with the transducer sets that includes the not-ablation-readytransducers, the first set of visual characteristics being differentthan the second set of visual characteristics. The transducer-activationmethod includes receiving an ablation request from the input-outputdevice system, the ablation request configured to request ablation by atleast some of the plurality of transducers. The transducer-activationmethod further includes causing, in response to receiving the ablationrequest from the input-output device system, energy from an energysource device system to be delivered to each of the plurality ofablation-ready transducers in the at least some of the plurality oftransducers, and preventing delivery of energy from the energy sourcedevice system to each of the plurality of not-ablation-readytransducers.

In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium system may besummarized as including one or more computer-readable storage mediumsstoring a program executable by one or more data processing devices of adata processing device system communicatively connected to aninput-output device system. The program includes a graphical interfacemodule configured to cause the input-output device system to display agraphical interface including a graphical representation of at leastsome of a plurality of graphical elements, each of the plurality ofgraphical elements respectively associated with a respective one of aplurality of transducer sets, each respective transducer set includingat least one of a plurality of transducers included as part of atransducer-based device, and each respective transducer set having atleast one different transducer than another of the other transducersets. The program includes an input module configured to cause receptionof transducer data via the input-output device system, the transducerdata indicating data acquired by the plurality of transducers. Theprogram includes an identification module configured to causeidentification of ablation-ready transducers of the plurality oftransducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of space deemed,based at least on an analysis of the transducer data, acceptable forablation, and not-ablation-ready transducers of the plurality oftransducers as transducers that are adjacent a region of space deemed,based at least on the analysis of the transducer data, not acceptablefor ablation. The graphical interface includes a first set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with each of the transducers sets that includes theablation-ready transducers, and includes a second set of visualcharacteristics associated with the graphical elements that areassociated with the transducer sets that includes the not-ablation-readytransducers, the first set of visual characteristics being differentthan the second set of visual characteristics. The program includes anablation request module configured to cause reception of an ablationrequest from the input-output device system, the ablation requestconfigured to request ablation by at least some of the plurality oftransducers. The program further includes an activation moduleconfigured to, in response to receiving the ablation request from theinput-output device system, cause energy from an energy source devicesystem to be delivered to each of the plurality of ablation-readytransducers in the at least some of the plurality of transducers, and anon-activation module configured to cause prevention of delivery ofenergy from the energy source device system to each of the plurality ofnot-ablation-ready transducers. In some embodiments, thecomputer-readable storage medium system is a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium system including one or morenon-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing the program.

In some embodiments, a transducer-based device system may be summarizedas including a data processing device system. The transducer-baseddevice includes an input-output device system communicatively connectedto the data processing device system. The input-output device systemincludes a transducer-based device, at least part of thetransducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity, and thetransducer-based device including a structure that positions a pluralityof transducers in a spaced apart distribution. The transducer-baseddevice further includes a memory device system communicatively connectedto the data processing device system and storing a program executable bythe data processing device system. The program includes graphicalrepresentation instructions configured to cause the input-output devicesystem to display a graphical representation of at least a portion ofthe transducer-based device. The graphical representation includes aplurality of transducer graphical elements and a plurality of betweengraphical elements. Each of the transducer graphical elements isassociated with a respective transducer of the plurality of transducersof the transducer-based device, and each of the between graphicalelements is associated with a region of space between a pair of thetransducers in the spaced apart distribution, each region of space notincluding any transducer, and no two of the pairs of the transducershaving an identical pair of the transducers. The plurality of transducergraphical elements and at least a portion of the plurality of betweengraphical elements are arranged in a plurality of rows and a pluralityof columns. The transducer graphical elements and the between graphicalelements in each respective one of the plurality of rows are interleavedwith respect to one another along the respective one of the plurality ofrows. The transducer graphical elements and the between graphicalelements in each respective one of the plurality of columns areinterleaved with respect to one another along the respective one of theplurality of columns. Each one of the plurality of columns shares a sametransducer graphical element with one of the plurality of rows. Theprogram further includes selection instructions configured to causereception of independent selections from the input-output device systemof each of at least two of the plurality of between graphical elements,and path-display instructions configured to, in response to receivingthe independent selections, cause the graphical representation toinclude, during a time interval that occurs (a) during the receiving ofthe independent selections, (b) after a completion of the receiving ofthe independent selections, or both (a) and (b), a displayed visualrepresentation of a path passing through at least a portion of each ofthe selected between graphical elements, the displayed visualrepresentation of the path extending between at least two of theplurality of rows and between at least two of the plurality of columns.

The path-display instructions may be further configured to cause thedisplayed visual representation of the path to pass through at leastsome of the transducer graphical elements associated with thetransducers in the pairs of transducers between which the regions ofspace associated with the selected between graphical elementsrespectively reside.

Each respective one of the plurality of columns may exclude any of thebetween graphical elements included in each of the plurality of rows.The displayed visual representation of the path may include a pathsegment that proceeds diagonally between a first node located at a firstjunction of a first one of the plurality of columns and a first one ofthe plurality of rows and a second node located at a second junction ofa second one of the plurality of columns and a second one of theplurality of rows, the first junction being different than the secondjunction. The path-display instructions may include instructionsconfigured to cause the displayed graphical representation to change avisual characteristic of the selected between graphical elements as atleast part of forming the displayed visual representation of the path.The path-display instructions may include instructions configured to, inresponse to receiving the independent selections, cause the displayedgraphical representation to change, during the time interval, a visualcharacteristic of the at least some of the transducer graphical elementsassociated with the transducers in the pairs of the transducers betweenwhich the regions of space associated with the selected betweengraphical elements respectively reside.

The graphical representation may be three-dimensional. The plurality ofrows and the plurality of columns may be depicted as a three-dimensionalarrangement in the graphical representation. At least two of theplurality of columns may be depicted in the graphical representationextending along respective directions that converge with respect to oneanother. At least two of the plurality of columns may be depicted in thegraphical representation extending along non-parallel directions. Atleast two of the plurality of rows may be depicted in the graphicalrepresentation extending along parallel directions. The plurality ofrows and the plurality of columns may be depicted in the graphicalrepresentation in an arrangement in which the columns arecircumferentially arranged. The plurality of rows and the plurality ofcolumns may be depicted in the graphical representation in anarrangement having a generally spherical shape.

At least a first one of the plurality of between graphical elements maybe depicted in the graphical representation positioned between twoadjacent ones of the plurality of rows, and at least a second one of theplurality of between graphical elements may be depicted in the graphicalrepresentation positioned between two adjacent ones of the plurality ofcolumns. Each of at least some of the plurality of between graphicalelements may include a first end, a second end and an elongate portionextending between the first end and the second end. Each of the firstend and the second end of each of the at least some of the plurality ofbetween graphical elements may connect to a transducer graphical elementin the graphical representation. The elongate portions of at least twoof the at least some of the plurality of between graphical elements mayextend along respective directions defining an acute angle therebetween.

The program may further include activation instructions configured to,in response to receiving the independent selections, cause activation,via the input-output device system, of the transducers in the pairs ofthe transducers between which the regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements respectively reside. Theinput-output device system may include an energy source device systemconfigured to be connected to the transducers in the pairs of thetransducers between which the regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements respectively reside, the activationinstructions configured to cause the activation to occur during the timeinterval. The activation instructions may include instructionsconfigured to, in response to receiving the independent selections,cause the energy source device system to deliver energy to thetransducers in the pairs of the transducers between which the regions ofspace associated with the selected between graphical elementsrespectively reside, the energy sufficient for ablating tissue, and theactivation instructions configured to cause the energy to be deliveredduring the time interval. The input-output device system may include anindifferent electrode configured to receive a portion of the energydelivered to at least one of the transducers in the pairs of thetransducers between which the regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements respectively reside. The activationinstructions may include instructions configured to, in response toreceiving the independent selections, cause the energy source devicesystem to deliver energy to the transducers in the pairs of thetransducers between which the regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements respectively reside, the energy tobe delivered in a manner that (d) a portion of the energy delivered to afirst transducer of each pair of the transducers is transmitted by thefirst transducer, (e) a portion of the energy delivered to a secondtransducer of each pair of the transducers is transmitted by the secondtransducer, or both (d) and (e), and the activation instructionsconfigured to cause the energy to be delivered during the time interval.The transducer-based device may be a catheter device and the bodilycavity may be an intra-cardiac cavity. One of the pairs of thetransducers between which one of the regions of space associated withone of the selected between graphical elements resides includes a firsttransducer and a second transducer and each of the first transducer andthe second transducer may be configured to detect electrophysiologicalactivity in the intra-cardiac cavity at a location at least proximatethe respective transducer. The activation instructions may includeinstructions configured to, in response to receiving the independentselection of the one of the selected between graphical elements, causegeneration of a combined electrogram based upon electrophysiologicalactivity data received from the first transducer and the secondtransducer.

At least one of the regions of space associated with the betweengraphical elements may not be associated with any physical part of thetransducer-based device. At least one of the regions of space associatedwith the between graphical elements may be associated with a physicalpart of the transducer-based device. The structure may include one ormore surfaces, at least a portion of the one or more surfaces definingone or more openings in the structure. A first particular one of theplurality of between graphical elements may be associated with a regionof space between a first particular one of the pairs of the transducers,the first particular one of the pairs of the transducers being spacedwith respect to one another over a surface of the one or more surfaces,and a second particular one of the plurality of between graphicalelements may be associated with a region of space between a secondparticular one of the pairs of the transducers, the second particularone of the pairs of the transducers being spaced with respect to oneanother over at least part of an opening of the one or more openings inthe structure.

The transducer-based device may be a catheter device. The structure mayinclude a plurality of elongate members, each elongate member of theplurality of elongate members including a proximal end, a distal end andan intermediate portion positioned between the proximal and the distalends, the structure selectively moveable between a deliveryconfiguration in which the structure is sized to be percutaneouslydelivered to the bodily cavity and a deployed configuration in which thestructure has a size too large to be percutaneously delivered to thebodily cavity, the plurality of transducers located on at least some ofthe plurality of elongate members. A first particular one of theplurality of between graphical elements may be associated with a regionof space between a first particular one of the pairs of the transducers.A second particular one of the plurality of between graphical elementsmay be associated with a region of space between a second particular oneof the pairs of the transducers. Each transducer in the first particularone of the pairs of the transducers may be located on a same elongatemember of the at least some of the plurality of elongate members, andeach transducer in the second particular one of the pairs of thetransducers may be located on a different elongate member of the atleast some of the plurality of elongate members. The respectiveintermediate portion of each elongate member of the plurality ofelongate members may include a thickness, a front surface, and a backsurface opposite across the thickness from the front surface, and therespective intermediate portions of the plurality of elongate membersmay be arranged front surface-toward-back surface in a stacked arraywhen the structure is in the delivery configuration. The structure mayinclude a proximal portion and a distal portion, each of the proximaland the distal portions including a respective part of each of theplurality of elongate members, the proximal portion of the structureforming a first domed shape and the distal portion of the structureforming a second domed shape when the structure is in the deployedconfiguration.

The structure may include a proximal portion and a distal portion, andthe structure may be selectively moveable between a deliveryconfiguration in which the structure is sized for percutaneous deliveryto the bodily cavity, the structure arranged to be advanced distalportion first into the bodily cavity, and a deployed configuration inwhich the structure is sized too large to be delivered percutaneously tothe bodily cavity, the proximal portion of the structure forming a firstdomed shape and the distal portion of the structure forming a seconddomed shape when the structure is in the deployed configuration, theproximal and the distal portion of the structure arranged in a clamshell configuration when the structure is in the deployed configuration.

Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all thosesummarized above.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation system may be summarized asincluding a data processing device system, an input-output device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system, theinput-output device system including a transducer-based device, at leastpart of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity,and the transducer-based device including a structure that positions aplurality of transducers in a spaced apart distribution, and a memorydevice system communicatively connected to the data processing devicesystem and storing a program executable by the data processing devicesystem. The data processing device system is configured by the programat least to cause the input-output device system to display a graphicalrepresentation of at least a portion of the transducer-based device, thegraphical representation including a plurality of transducer graphicalelements and a plurality of between graphical elements. Each of thetransducer graphical elements is associated with a respective transducerof the plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device, and eachof the between graphical elements is associated with a region of spacebetween a pair of the transducers in the spaced apart distribution, eachregion of space not including any transducer, and no two of the pairs ofthe transducers having an identical pair of the transducers. Theplurality of transducer graphical elements and at least a portion of theplurality of between graphical elements are arranged in a plurality ofrows and a plurality of columns. The transducer graphical elements andthe between graphical elements in each respective one of the pluralityof rows are interleaved with respect to one another along the respectiveone of the plurality of rows. The transducer graphical elements and thebetween graphical elements in each respective one of the plurality ofcolumns are interleaved with respect to one another along the respectiveone of the plurality of columns. Each one of the plurality of columnsshares a same transducer graphical element with one of the plurality ofrows. The data processing device system is further configured by theprogram at least to receive independent selections from the input-outputdevice system of each of at least two of the plurality of betweengraphical elements, and cause, in response to receiving the independentselections, the graphical representation to include, during a timeinterval that occurs (a) during the receiving of the independentselections, (b) after a completion of the receiving of the independentselections, or both (a) and (b), a displayed visual representation of apath passing through at least a portion of each of the selected betweengraphical elements, the displayed visual representation of the pathextending between at least two of the plurality of rows and between atleast two of the plurality of columns.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation method is executed by adata processing device system according to a program stored by a memorydevice system communicatively connected to the data processing devicesystem. The data processing device system is further communicativelyconnected to an input-output device system. The input-output devicesystem includes a transducer-based device, at least part of thetransducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity, and thetransducer-based device includes a structure that positions a pluralityof transducers in a spaced apart distribution. The method may besummarized as including causing the input-output device system todisplay a graphical representation of at least a portion of thetransducer-based device, the graphical representation including aplurality of transducer graphical elements and a plurality of betweengraphical elements. Each of the transducer graphical elements isassociated with a respective transducer of the plurality of transducersof the transducer-based device, and each of the between graphicalelements is associated with a region of space between a pair of thetransducers in the spaced apart distribution, each region of space notincluding any transducer, and no two of the pairs of the transducershaving an identical pair of the transducers. The plurality of transducergraphical elements and at least a portion of the plurality of betweengraphical elements are arranged in a plurality of rows and a pluralityof columns. The transducer graphical elements and the between graphicalelements in each respective one of the plurality of rows are interleavedwith respect to one another along the respective one of the plurality ofrows. The transducer graphical elements and the between graphicalelements in each respective one of the plurality of columns areinterleaved with respect to one another along the respective one of theplurality of columns. Each one of the plurality of columns shares a sametransducer graphical element with one of the plurality of rows. Themethod further includes receiving independent selections from theinput-output device system of each of at least two of the plurality ofbetween graphical elements, and causing, in response to receiving theindependent selections, the graphical representation to include, duringa time interval that occurs (a) during the receiving of the independentselections, (b) after a completion of the receiving of the independentselections, or both (a) and (b), a displayed visual representation of apath passing through at least a portion of each of the selected betweengraphical elements, the displayed visual representation of the pathextending between at least two of the plurality of rows and between atleast two of the plurality of columns.

In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium system may besummarized as including one or more computer-readable storage mediumsstoring a program executable by one or more data processing devices of adata processing device system communicatively connected to aninput-output device system. The input-output device system includes atransducer-based device, at least part of the transducer-based devicepositionable within a bodily cavity. The transducer-based deviceincludes a structure that positions a plurality of transducers in aspaced apart distribution. The program includes a graphicalrepresentation module configured to cause the input-output device systemto display a graphical representation of at least a portion of thetransducer-based device. The graphical representation includes aplurality of transducer graphical elements and a plurality of betweengraphical elements. Each of the transducer graphical elements isassociated with a respective transducer of the plurality of transducersof the transducer-based device, and each of the between graphicalelements is associated with a region of space between a pair of thetransducers in the spaced apart distribution, each region of space notincluding any transducer, and no two of the pairs of the transducershaving an identical pair of the transducers. The plurality of transducergraphical elements and at least a portion of the plurality of betweengraphical elements are arranged in a plurality of rows and a pluralityof columns. The transducer graphical elements and the between graphicalelements in each respective one of the plurality of rows are interleavedwith respect to one another along the respective one of the plurality ofrows. The transducer graphical elements and the between graphicalelements in each respective one of the plurality of columns areinterleaved with respect to one another along the respective one of theplurality of columns. Each one of the plurality of columns shares a sametransducer graphical element with one of the plurality of rows. Theprogram further includes a selection module configured to causereception of independent selections from the input-output device systemof each of at least two of the plurality of between graphical elements,and a path-display module configured to, in response to receiving theindependent selections, cause the graphical representation to include,during a time interval that occurs (a) during the receiving of theindependent selections, (b) after a completion of the receiving of theindependent selections, or both (a) and (b), a displayed visualrepresentation of a path passing through at least a portion of each ofthe selected between graphical elements, the displayed visualrepresentation of the path extending between at least two of theplurality of rows and between at least two of the plurality of columns.In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium system is anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium system including one ormore non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing theprogram.

In some embodiments, a transducer-selection system may be summarized asincluding a data processing device system, an input-output device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system, and amemory device system communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system and storing a program executable by the data processingdevice system. The program includes input instructions configured tocause reception of transducer data via the input-output device system,the transducer data indicating data acquired by at least some of aplurality of transducers included in a transducer-based device, at leastpart of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity.The program includes graphical representation instructions configured tocause the input-output device system to display a graphicalrepresentation, the graphical representation including a plurality oftransducer graphical elements respectively associated with the pluralityof transducers of the transducer-based device. The program includesidentification instructions configured to cause identification of aregion of the graphical representation that corresponds to at least aportion of an anatomical feature based at least on an analysis of thetransducer data, wherein the graphical representation instructions areconfigured to cause the input-output device system to visually displaythe identified region of the graphical representation. The programfurther includes selection instructions configured to cause reception ofa selection from the input-output device system of thevisually-displayed identified region, and path-display instructionsconfigured to, in response to receiving the selection, cause thedisplayed graphical representation to include a displayed visualrepresentation of an ablation path configured for the anatomicalfeature.

The displayed visual representation of the ablation path may surroundthe identified region in the graphical representation. The displayedvisual representation of the ablation path may continuously surround theidentified region in the graphical representation. The transducer-baseddevice may be a catheter device, and the anatomical feature may be ananatomical feature that forms at least part of the bodily cavity. Thebodily cavity may include a tissue wall surface interrupted by one ormore ports in fluid communication with the bodily cavity, and theanatomical feature may include at least one port of the one or moreports.

The plurality of transducers may be arranged in a distribution, theplurality of transducers positionable within a bodily cavity. Thetransducer data may include data associated with an electricalcharacteristic of tissue in the bodily cavity. The electricalcharacteristic may be an electrical impedance of the tissue in thebodily cavity. The transducer data may include data associated with aflow characteristic of fluid in the bodily cavity.

The displayed visual representation of the ablation path may passthrough a number of locations in the graphical representation, each ofthe number of locations positioned in the graphical representation atleast proximate a respective one of at least some of the plurality oftransducer graphical elements. The graphical representation instructionsmay include instructions configured to, in response to receiving theselection, cause the input-output device system to vary a visualcharacteristic of each of the at least some of the plurality oftransducer graphical elements. The program may further includepath-acceptance instructions configured to cause the data processingdevice system to receive an acceptance of the visual representation ofthe ablation path based at least on a user response communicated via theinput-output device system. The program may further include activationinstructions configured to, in response to receiving the acceptance,cause energy from an energy source device system to be delivered to eachof the transducers associated with the at least some of the plurality oftransducer graphical elements, the energy sufficient for ablatingtissue.

The graphical representation may include a plurality of betweengraphical elements, each between graphical element associated with aregion of space between a respective pair of the plurality oftransducers, each region of space not including any transducer, and notwo of the respective pairs of the plurality of transducers having anidentical pair of the transducers. The graphical representationinstructions may include instructions configured to, in response toreceiving the selection, cause the input-output device system to vary avisual characteristic of each of at least some of the plurality ofbetween graphical elements. The displayed visual representation of theablation path may pass through each of the at least some of theplurality of between graphical elements. The program may further includepath-acceptance instructions configured to cause reception of anacceptance of the visual representation of the ablation path based atleast on a user response via the input-output device system, andactivation instructions configured to, in response to receiving theacceptance, cause energy from an energy source device system to bedelivered to each of the corresponding pairs of the plurality oftransducers associated with each of the at least some of the pluralityof between graphical elements, the energy sufficient for ablatingtissue.

Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all thosesummarized above.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation system includes a dataprocessing device system, an input-output device system communicativelyconnected to the data processing device system, and a memory devicesystem communicatively connected to the data processing device systemand storing a program executable by the data processing device system.The data processing device system is configured by the program at leastto receive transducer data via the input-output device system, thetransducer data indicating data acquired by at least some of a pluralityof transducers included in a transducer-based device, at least part ofthe transducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity. Thedata processing device system is configured by the program at least tocause the input-output device system to display a graphicalrepresentation, the graphical representation including a plurality oftransducer graphical elements respectively associated with the pluralityof transducers of the transducer-based device. The data processingdevice system is configured by the program at least to identify a regionof the graphical representation that corresponds to at least a portionof an anatomical feature based at least on an analysis of the transducerdata. The data processing device system is configured by the program atleast to cause the input-output device system to visually display theidentified region of the graphical representation. The data processingdevice system is configured by the program at least to receive aselection from the input-output device system of the visually-displayedidentified region, and cause, in response to receiving the selection,the displayed graphical representation to include a displayed visualrepresentation of an ablation path configured for the anatomicalfeature.

In some example embodiments a transducer-activation method is executedby a data processing device system according to a program stored by amemory device system communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system, the data processing device system further communicativelyconnected to an input-output device system. The method may be summarizedas including receiving transducer data via the input-output devicesystem, the transducer data indicating data acquired by at least some ofa plurality of transducers included in a transducer-based device, atleast part of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodilycavity. The method includes causing the input-output device system todisplay a graphical representation, the graphical representationincluding a plurality of transducer graphical elements respectivelyassociated with the plurality of transducers of the transducer-baseddevice. The method includes identifying a region of the graphicalrepresentation that corresponds to at least a portion of an anatomicalfeature based at least on an analysis of the transducer data. The methodincludes causing the input-output device system to visually display theidentified region of the graphical representation. The method furtherincludes receiving a selection from the input-output device system ofthe visually-displayed identified region, and causing, in response toreceiving the selection, the displayed graphical representation toinclude a displayed visual representation of an ablation path configuredfor the anatomical feature.

In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium system may besummarized as including one or more computer-readable storage mediumsstoring a program executable by one or more data processing devices of adata processing device system communicatively connected to aninput-output device system. The program includes an input moduleconfigured to cause reception of transducer data via the input-outputdevice system, the transducer data indicating data acquired by at leastsome of a plurality of transducers included in a transducer-baseddevice, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable withina bodily cavity. The program includes a graphical representation moduleconfigured to cause the input-output device system to display agraphical representation, the graphical representation including aplurality of transducer graphical elements respectively associated withthe plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device. The programfurther includes an identification module configured to causeidentification of a region of the graphical representation thatcorresponds to at least a portion of an anatomical feature based atleast on an analysis of the transducer data. The graphicalrepresentation module is configured to cause the input-output devicesystem to visually display the identified region of the graphicalrepresentation. The program further includes a selection moduleconfigured to cause reception of a selection from the input-outputdevice system of the visually-displayed identified region, and apath-display module configured to, in response to receiving theselection, cause the displayed graphical representation to include adisplayed visual representation of an ablation path configured for theanatomical feature. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storagemedium system is a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumsystem including one or more non-transitory computer-readable storagemediums storing the program.

A transducer-activation system may be summarized as including a dataprocessing device system, an input-output device system communicativelyconnected to the data processing device system, and a memory devicesystem communicatively connected to the data processing device systemand storing a program executable by the data processing device system.The program includes graphical representation instructions configured tocause the input-output device system to display a graphicalrepresentation of at least a portion of a transducer-based device, atleast part of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodilycavity. The graphical representation includes a between graphicalelement associated with a region of space between a first transducer anda second transducer of the transducer-based device, the region of spacenot including any transducer. The program includes activationinstructions configured to cause, via the input-output device system, anenergy source device system connected to at least the first transducerand the second transducer to deliver energy to each of the firsttransducer and the second transducer. The program includes determinationinstructions configured to cause determination of an energy-deliverystatus associated with at least one of the first transducer and thesecond transducer, the energy-delivery status indicating a status of theenergy delivery by the energy source device system to the at least oneof the first transducer and the second transducer. The program furtherincludes energy-delivery-indication instructions configured to cause theinput-output device system to change a displayed visual characteristicof the between graphical element based at least on the determinedenergy-delivery status of the at least one of the first transducer andthe second transducer. The region of space may not be associated withany physical part of the transducer-based device.

The energy-delivery status associated with the at least one of the firsttransducer and the second transducer may include a pre-energy-deliverystatus associated with a state before a start of the energy delivery bythe energy source device system to the at least one of the firsttransducer and the second transducer and a during-energy-delivery statusassociated with a state during the energy delivery by the energy sourcedevice system to the at least one of the first transducer and the secondtransducer. A first displayed visual characteristic of the betweengraphical element may be associated with the pre-energy-delivery statusand a second displayed visual characteristic of the between graphicalelement may be associated with the during-energy-delivery status, thesecond displayed visual characteristic being different than the firstdisplayed visual characteristic. The energy-delivery status associatedwith the at least one of the first transducer and the second transducermay include a post-energy-delivery status associated with a state aftera completion of the energy delivery by the energy source device systemto the at least one of the first transducer and the second transducer. Athird displayed visual characteristic of the between graphical elementmay be associated with the post-energy delivery status, the thirddisplayed visual characteristic being different than one of the firstdisplayed visual characteristic and the second displayed visualcharacteristic. The third displayed visual characteristic may bedifferent than the first displayed visual characteristic, the seconddisplayed visual characteristic, or both the first displayed visualcharacteristic and the second displayed visual characteristic.

The graphical representation may include a first transducer graphicalelement associated with the first transducer and a second transducergraphical element associated with the second transducer. Theenergy-delivery-indication instructions may be further configured tocause the input-output device system to change a displayed visualcharacteristic of the first transducer graphical element, the secondtransducer graphical element, or both the first transducer graphicalelement and the second transducer graphical element based at least onthe determined energy-delivery status associated with the at least oneof the first transducer and the second transducer. The graphicalrepresentation may include a first spatial relationship between thefirst transducer graphical element and the second transducer graphicalelement that is consistent with a second spatial relationship betweenthe corresponding first transducer and the second transducer of thetransducer-based device. The graphical representation instructions maybe further configured to display the second transducer graphical elementin a first direction from the first transducer graphical element. Thebetween graphical element may be between the second transducer graphicalelement and the first transducer graphical element in the graphicalrepresentation. The between graphical element may be formed, at least inpart, at a location in the graphical representation intersected by thefirst direction from the first transducer graphical element. The betweengraphical element may include an elongate portion extending along thefirst direction.

The input-output device system may include the transducer-based device.The transducer-based device may be a catheter device. The bodily cavitymay be an intra-cardiac cavity.

Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all thosesummarized above.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation system may be summarized asincluding a data processing device system, an input-output device systemcommunicatively connected to the data processing device system, and amemory device system communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system and storing a program executable by the data processingdevice system. The data processing device system is configured by theprogram at least to cause the input-output device system to display agraphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-baseddevice, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable withina bodily cavity, and the graphical representation including a betweengraphical element associated with a region of space between a firsttransducer and a second transducer of the transducer-based device, theregion of space not including any transducer. The data processing devicesystem is configured by the program at least to cause the input-outputdevice system to cause, via the input-output device system, an energysource device system connected to at least the first transducer and thesecond transducer to deliver energy to each of the first transducer andthe second transducer. The data processing device system is configuredby the program at least to cause the input-output device system todetermine an energy-delivery status associated with at least one of thefirst transducer and the second transducer, the energy-delivery statusindicating a status of the energy delivery by the energy source devicesystem to the at least one of the first transducer and the secondtransducer. The data processing device system is further configured bythe program at least to cause the input-output device system to causethe input-output device system to change a displayed visualcharacteristic of the between graphical element based at least on thedetermined energy-delivery status of the at least one of the firsttransducer and the second transducer.

In some embodiments, a transducer-activation method is executed by adata processing device system according to a program stored by a memorydevice system communicatively connected to the data processing devicesystem, the data processing device system further communicativelyconnected to an input-output device system. The method may be summarizedas including causing the input-output device system to display agraphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-baseddevice, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable withina bodily cavity, and the graphical representation including a betweengraphical element associated with a region of space between a firsttransducer and a second transducer of the transducer-based device, theregion of space not including any transducer. The method includescausing, via the input-output device system, an energy source devicesystem connected to at least the first transducer and the secondtransducer to deliver energy to each of the first transducer and thesecond transducer. The method includes determining an energy-deliverystatus associated with at least one of the first transducer and thesecond transducer, the energy-delivery status indicating a status of theenergy delivery by the energy source device system to the at least oneof the first transducer and the second transducer. The method furtherincludes causing the input-output device system to change a displayedvisual characteristic of the between graphical element based at least onthe determined energy-delivery status of the at least one of the firsttransducer and the second transducer.

In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium system may besummarized as including one or more computer-readable storage mediumsstoring a program executable by one or more data processing devices of adata processing device system communicatively connected to aninput-output device system. The program includes a graphicalrepresentation module configured to cause the input-output device systemto display a graphical representation of at least a portion of atransducer-based device, at least part of the transducer-based devicepositionable within a bodily cavity. The graphical representationincludes a between graphical element associated with a region of spacebetween a first transducer and a second transducer of thetransducer-based device, the region of space not including anytransducer. The program includes an activation module configured tocause, via the input-output device system, an energy source devicesystem connected to at least the first transducer and the secondtransducer to deliver energy to each of the first transducer and thesecond transducer. The program includes a determination moduleconfigured to cause determination of an energy-delivery statusassociated with at least one of the first transducer and the secondtransducer, the energy-delivery status indicating a status of the energydelivery by the energy source device system to the at least one of thefirst transducer and the second transducer. The program further includesan energy-delivery-indication module configured to cause theinput-output device system to change a displayed visual characteristicof the between graphical element based at least on the determinedenergy-delivery status of the at least one of the first transducer andthe second transducer. In some embodiments, the computer-readablestorage medium system is a non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium system including one or more non-transitory computer-readablestorage mediums storing the program.

Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all the systemssummarized above. Various methods may include combinations and subsetsof all the methods summarized above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is to be understood that the attached drawings are for purposes ofillustrating aspects of various embodiments and may include elementsthat are not to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a transducer-activationsystem according to various example embodiments, thetransducer-activation system including a data processing device system,an input-output device system, and a memory device system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cutaway diagram of a heart showing atransducer-based device percutaneously placed in a left atrium of theheart according to various example embodiments.

FIG. 3A illustrates a partially schematic representation of a medicalsystem according to various example embodiments, the medical systemincluding a data processing device system, an input-output devicesystem, a memory device system, and a transducer-based device having aplurality of transducers and an expandable structure shown in a deliveryor unexpanded configuration.

FIG. 3B illustrates the representation of the medical system of FIG. 3Awith the expandable structure shown in a deployed or expandedconfiguration.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic representation of a transducer-baseddevice that includes a flexible circuit structure according to variousexample embodiments.

FIG. 5A illustrates a graphical interface providing a graphicalrepresentation of at least a portion of a transducer-based deviceaccording to various example embodiments, the graphical representationincluding a plurality of graphical elements including a plurality oftransducer graphical elements and a plurality of between graphicalelements.

FIG. 5B illustrates the graphical representation provided by thegraphical interface of FIG. 5A with at least some of the transducergraphical elements identified by identification labels.

FIG. 5C illustrates the graphical representation provided by thegraphical interface of FIG. 5A with the addition of various regionsdetermined based at least on an analysis of transducer data.

FIG. 5D illustrates the graphical representation of FIG. 5C depictedtwo-dimensionally.

FIG. 5E illustrates the graphical representation of FIG. 5C with agraphical element selected in accordance with various exampleembodiments.

FIG. 5F illustrates the graphical representation of FIG. 5C with anaddition of a depicted path.

FIGS. 5G and 5H illustrate the graphical representation of FIG. 5Fassociated with two successive activations of various transducer setsselected according to a first sequence but activated according to asecond sequence different from the first sequence.

FIG. 5I illustrates the graphical representation of FIG. 5F after thecompletion of the activation of all the various transducer setsaccording to the second sequence.

FIG. 5J illustrates a graphical interface providing a graphicalrepresentation of at least a portion of a transducer-based deviceaccording to various example embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical interface providing a graphicalrepresentation of at least a portion of a transducer-based deviceaccording to various example embodiments.

FIG. 7A illustrates a block diagram of a method for activatingtransducers of a transducer-based device according to some exampleembodiments.

FIG. 7B illustrates an exploded view of some of the blocks of the blockdiagram of FIG. 7A according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of a method for activatingtransducers of a transducer-based device according to various exampleembodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a method for displaying a visualrepresentation of an ablation path according to various exampleembodiments.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exploded view of some of the blocks of the blockdiagram of FIG. 8, according to some example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of theinvention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that theinvention may be practiced without these details. In other instances,well-known structures (e.g., structures associated with radio-frequency(RF) ablation and electronic controls such as multiplexers) have notbeen shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuringdescriptions of various embodiments of the invention.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” or “an example embodiment” or “an illustrated embodiment” or“a particular embodiment” and the like means that a particular feature,structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of thephrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” or “in an exampleembodiment” or “in this illustrated embodiment” or “in this particularembodiment” and the like in various places throughout this specificationare not necessarily all referring to one embodiment or a sameembodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics of different embodiments may be combined in any suitablemanner to form one or more other embodiments.

It is noted that, unless otherwise explicitly noted or required bycontext, the word “or” is used in this disclosure in a non-exclusivesense. In addition, unless otherwise explicitly noted or required bycontext, the word “set” is intended to mean one or more.

Further, the phrase “at least” is used herein at times to emphasize thepossibility that other elements can exist besides those explicitlylisted. However, unless otherwise explicitly noted (such as by the useof the term “only”) or required by context, non-usage herein of thephrase “at least” does not exclude the possibility that other elementscan exist besides those explicitly listed. For example, the phrase,“activation of at least transducer A” includes activation of transducerA by itself, as well as activation of transducer A and activation of oneor more other additional elements besides transducer A. In the samemanner, the phrase, “activation of transducer A” includes activation oftransducer A by itself, as well as activation of transducer A andactivation of one or more other additional elements besides transducerA. However, the phrase, “activation of only transducer A” includes onlyactivation of transducer A, and excludes activation of any othertransducers besides transducer A.

The word “ablation” as used in this disclosure should be understood toinclude any disruption to certain properties of tissue. Most commonly,the disruption is to the electrical conductivity and is achieved byheating, which can be generated with resistive or radio-frequency (RF)techniques for example. Other properties, such as mechanical orchemical, and other means of disruption, such as optical, are includedwhen the term “ablation” is used.

The word “fluid” as used in this disclosure should be understood toinclude any fluid that can be contained within a bodily cavity or canflow into or out of, or both into and out of a bodily cavity via one ormore bodily openings positioned in fluid communication with the bodilycavity. In the case of cardiac applications, fluid such as blood willflow into and out of various intra-cardiac cavities (e.g., a left atriumor right atrium).

The words “bodily opening” as used in this disclosure should beunderstood to include a naturally occurring bodily opening or channel orlumen; a bodily opening or channel or lumen formed by an instrument ortool using techniques that can include, but are not limited to,mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, and exposure or illuminationtechniques; a bodily opening or channel or lumen formed by trauma to abody; or various combinations of one or more of the above. Variouselements having respective openings, lumens or channels and positionedwithin the bodily opening (e.g., a catheter sheath) may be present invarious embodiments. These elements may provide a passageway through abodily opening for various devices employed in various embodiments.

The words “bodily cavity” as used in this disclosure should beunderstood to mean a cavity in a body. The bodily cavity may be a cavityprovided in a bodily organ (e.g., an intra-cardiac cavity of a heart).

The word “tissue” as used in some embodiments in this disclosure shouldbe understood to include any surface-forming tissue that is used to forma surface of a body or a surface within a bodily cavity, a surface of ananatomical feature or a surface of a feature associated with a bodilyopening positioned in fluid communication with the bodily cavity. Thetissue can include part or all of a tissue wall or membrane that definesa surface of the bodily cavity. In this regard, the tissue can form aninterior surface of the cavity that surrounds a fluid within the cavity.In the case of cardiac applications, tissue can include tissue used toform an interior surface of an intra-cardiac cavity such as a leftatrium or right atrium. In some embodiments, the word tissue can referto a tissue having fluidic properties (e.g., blood).

The term “transducer” as used in this disclosure should be interpretedbroadly as any device capable of distinguishing between fluid andtissue, sensing temperature, creating heat, ablating tissue, measuringelectrical activity of a tissue surface, stimulating tissue, or anycombination thereof. A transducer can convert input energy of one forminto output energy of another form. Without limitation, a transducer caninclude an electrode that functions as, or as part of, a sensing deviceincluded in the transducer, an energy delivery device included in thetransducer, or both a sensing device and an energy delivery deviceincluded in the transducer. A transducer may be constructed from severalparts, which may be discrete components or may be integrally formed. Inthis regard, although transducers, electrodes, or both transducers andelectrodes are referenced with respect to various embodiments, it isunderstood that other transducers or transducer elements may be employedin other embodiments. It is understood that a reference to a particulartransducer in various embodiments may also imply a reference to anelectrode, as an electrode may be part of the transducer as shown, e.g.,with FIG. 4 discussed below.

The term “activation” as used in this disclosure should be interpretedbroadly as making active a particular function as related to varioustransducers disclosed in this disclosure. Particular functions caninclude, but are not limited to, tissue ablation, sensingelectrophysiological activity, sensing temperature and sensingelectrical characteristics (e.g., tissue impedance). For example, insome embodiments, activation of a tissue ablation function of aparticular transducer is initiated by causing energy sufficient fortissue ablation from an energy source device system to be delivered tothe particular transducer. Alternatively, in this example, theactivation can be deemed to be initiated when the particular transducercauses a temperature sufficient for the tissue ablation due to theenergy provided by the energy source device system. Also in thisexample, the activation can last for a duration of time concluding whenthe ablation function is no longer active, such as when energysufficient for the tissue ablation is no longer provided to theparticular transducer. Alternatively, in this example, the activationperiod can be deemed to be concluded when the temperature caused by theparticular transducer is below the temperature sufficient for the tissueablation. In some contexts, however, the word “activation” can merelyrefer to the initiation of the activating of a particular function, asopposed to referring to both the initiation of the activating of theparticular function and the subsequent duration in which the particularfunction is active. In these contexts, the phrase or a phrase similar to“activation initiation” may be used.

The term “program” in this disclosure should be interpreted as a set ofinstructions or modules that can be executed by one or more componentsin a system, such a controller system or data processing device system,in order to cause the system to perform one or more operations. The setof instructions or modules can be stored by any kind of memory device,such as those described subsequently with respect to the memory devicesystem 130 shown in FIG. 1. In addition, this disclosure sometimesdescribes that the instructions or modules of a program are configuredto cause the performance of a function. The phrase “configured to” inthis context is intended to include at least (a) instructions or modulesthat are presently in a form executable by one or more data processingdevices to cause performance of the function (e.g., in the case wherethe instructions or modules are in a compiled and unencrypted form readyfor execution), and (b) instructions or modules that are presently in aform not executable by the one or more data processing devices, butcould be translated into the form executable by the one or more dataprocessing devices to cause performance of the function (e.g., in thecase where the instructions or modules are encrypted in a non-executablemanner, but through performance of a decryption process, would betranslated into a form ready for execution). The word “module” can bedefined as a set of instructions.

The word “device” and the phrase “device system” both are intended toinclude one or more physical devices or sub-devices (e.g., pieces ofequipment) that interact to perform one or more functions, regardless ofwhether such devices or sub-devices are located within a same housing ordifferent housings. In this regard, for example, this disclosuresometimes refers to a “catheter device”, but such catheter device couldequivalently be referred to as a “catheter device system”.

In some contexts, the term “adjacent” is used in this disclosure torefer to objects that do not have another substantially similar objectbetween them. For example, object A and object B could be consideredadjacent if they contact each other (and, thus, it could be consideredthat no other object is between them), or if they do not contact eachother, but no other object that is substantially similar to object A,object B, or both objects A and B, depending on context, is betweenthem.

Further, the phrase “in response to” commonly is used in thisdisclosure. For example, this phrase might be used in the followingcontext, where an event A occurs in response to the occurrence of anevent B. In this regard, such phrase can include, for example, that atleast the occurrence of the event B causes or triggers the event A.

Further still, example methods are described herein with respect toFIGS. 7A, 7B, 8, 9, and 10. Such figures are described to include blocksassociated with instructions. It should be noted that the respectiveinstructions associated, e.g., with each of blocks 807 and 808, or anyother method blocks herein, need not be separate instructions and may becombined with other instructions to form a combined instruction set. Inthis regard, the blocks shown in each of the method figures herein arenot intended to illustrate an actual structure of any program or set ofinstructions, and such method figures, according to some embodiments,merely illustrate the tasks that instructions are configured to performupon execution by a data processing device system in conjunction withinteractions with one or more other devices or device systems.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system 100 for activatingtransducers, according to some embodiments. The system 100 includes adata processing device system 110, an input-output device system 120,and a processor-accessible memory device system 130. Theprocessor-accessible memory device system 130 and the input-outputdevice system 120 are communicatively connected to the data processingdevice system 110.

The data processing device system 110 includes one or more dataprocessing devices that implement or execute, in conjunction with otherdevices, such as those in the system 100, the methods of variousembodiments, including the example methods of FIGS. 7A, 7B, 8, 9, and 10described herein. Each of the phrases “data processing device”, “dataprocessor”, “processor”, and “computer” is intended to include any dataprocessing device, such as a central processing unit (“CPU”), a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, a mainframe computer, tablet computer, apersonal digital assistant, a cellular phone, and any other device forprocessing data, managing data, or handling data, whether implementedwith electrical, magnetic, optical, biological components, or otherwise.

The memory device system 130 includes one or more processor-accessiblememory devices configured to store information, including theinformation needed to execute the methods of various embodiments,including the example methods of FIGS. 7A, 7B, 8, 9, and 10 describedherein. The memory device system 130 may be a distributedprocessor-accessible memory device system including multipleprocessor-accessible memory devices communicatively connected to thedata processing device system 110 via a plurality of computers and/ordevices. On the other hand, the memory device system 130 need not be adistributed processor-accessible memory system and, consequently, mayinclude one or more processor-accessible memory devices located within asingle data processing device.

Each of the phrases “processor-accessible memory” and“processor-accessible memory device” is intended to include anyprocessor-accessible data storage device, whether volatile ornonvolatile, electronic, magnetic, optical, or otherwise, including butnot limited to, registers, floppy disks, hard disks, Compact Discs,DVDs, flash memories, ROMs, and RAMs. In some embodiments, each of thephrases “processor-accessible memory” and “processor-accessible memorydevice” is intended to include a non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium. And in some embodiments, the memory device system 130can be considered a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumsystem.

The phrase “communicatively connected” is intended to include any typeof connection, whether wired or wireless, between devices, dataprocessors, or programs in which data may be communicated. Further, thephrase “communicatively connected” is intended to include a connectionbetween devices or programs within a single data processor, a connectionbetween devices or programs located in different data processors, and aconnection between devices not located in data processors at all. Inthis regard, although the memory device system 130 is shown separatelyfrom the data processing device system 110 and the input-output devicesystem 120, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the memorydevice system 130 may be located completely or partially within the dataprocessing device system 110 or the input-output device system 120.Further in this regard, although the input-output device system 120 isshown separately from the data processing device system 110 and thememory device system 130, one skilled in the art will appreciate thatsuch system may be located completely or partially within the dataprocessing system 110 or the memory device system 130, depending uponthe contents of the input-output device system 120. Further still, thedata processing device system 110, the input-output device system 120,and the memory device system 130 may be located entirely within the samedevice or housing or may be separately located, but communicativelyconnected, among different devices or housings. In the case where thedata processing device system 110, the input-output device system 120,and the memory device system 130 are located within the same device, thesystem 100 of FIG. 1 can be implemented by a single application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC) in some embodiments.

The input-output device system 120 may include a mouse, a keyboard, atouch screen, another computer, or any device or combination of devicesfrom which a desired selection, desired information, instructions, orany other data is input to the data processing device system 110. Theinput-output device system may include a user-activatable control systemthat is responsive to a user action. The input-output device system 120may include any suitable interface for receiving information,instructions or any data from other devices and systems described invarious ones of the embodiments. In this regard, the input-output devicesystem 120 may include various ones of other systems described invarious embodiments. For example, the input-output device system 120 mayinclude at least a portion a transducer-based device system. The phrase“transducer-based device system” is intended to include one or morephysical systems that include various transducers. The phrase“transducer-based device” is intended to include one or more physicaldevices that include various transducers.

The input-output device system 120 also may include an image generatingdevice system, a display device system, a processor-accessible memorydevice, or any device or combination of devices to which information,instructions, or any other data is output by the data processing devicesystem 110. In this regard, if the input-output device system 120includes a processor-accessible memory device, such memory device may ormay not form part or all of the memory device system 130. Theinput-output device system 120 may include any suitable interface foroutputting information, instructions or data to other devices andsystems described in various ones of the embodiments. In this regard,the input-output device system may include various other devices orsystems described in various embodiments.

Various embodiments of transducer-based devices are described herein.Some of the described devices are medical devices that arepercutaneously or intravascularly deployed. Some of the describeddevices are moveable between a delivery or unexpanded configuration(e.g., FIG. 3A, discussed below) in which a portion of the device issized for passage though a bodily opening leading to a bodily cavity,and an expanded or deployed configuration (e.g., FIG. 3B, discussedbelow) in which the portion of the device has a size too large forpassage through the bodily opening leading to the bodily cavity. Anexample of an expanded or deployed configuration is when the portion ofthe transducer-based device is in its intended-deployed-operationalstate inside the bodily cavity. Another example of the expanded ordeployed configuration is when the portion of the transducer-baseddevice is being changed from the delivery configuration to theintended-deployed-operational state to a point where the portion of thedevice now has a size too large for passage through the bodily openingleading to the bodily cavity.

In some example embodiments, the device includes transducers that sensecharacteristics (e.g., convective cooling, permittivity, force) thatdistinguish between fluid, such as a fluidic tissue (e.g., blood), andtissue forming an interior surface of the bodily cavity. Such sensedcharacteristics can allow a medical system to map the cavity, forexample using positions of openings or ports into and out of the cavityto determine a position or orientation (e.g., pose), or both of theportion of the device in the bodily cavity. In some example embodiments,the described devices are capable of ablating tissue in a desiredpattern within the bodily cavity.

In some example embodiments, the devices are capable of sensingcharacteristics (e.g., electrophysiological activity) indicative ofwhether an ablation has been successful. In some example embodiments,the devices are capable of providing stimulation (e.g., electricalstimulation) to tissue within the bodily cavity. Electrical stimulationmay include pacing.

FIG. 2 is a representation of a transducer-based device 200 useful ininvestigating or treating a bodily organ, for example a heart 202,according to one example embodiment.

Transducer-based device 200 can be percutaneously or intravascularlyinserted into a portion of the heart 202, such as an intra-cardiaccavity like left atrium 204. In this example, the transducer-baseddevice 200 is part of a catheter 206 inserted via the inferior vena cava208 and penetrating through a bodily opening in transatrial septum 210from right atrium 212. In other embodiments, other paths may be taken.

Catheter 206 includes an elongated flexible rod or shaft memberappropriately sized to be delivered percutaneously or intravascularly.Various portions of catheter 206 may be steerable. Catheter 206 mayinclude one or more lumens (not shown). The lumen(s) may carry one ormore communications or power paths, or both. For example, the lumens(s)may carry one or more electrical conductors 216 (two shown in thisembodiment). Electrical conductors 216 provide electrical connections todevice 200 that are accessible externally from a patient in which thetransducer-based device 200 is inserted.

Transducer-based device 200 includes a frame or structure 218 whichassumes an unexpanded configuration for delivery to left atrium 204.Structure 218 is expanded (e.g., shown in a deployed or expandedconfiguration in FIG. 2) upon delivery to left atrium 204 to position aplurality of transducers 220 (three called out in FIG. 2) proximate theinterior surface formed by tissue 222 of left atrium 204. In thisexample embodiment, at least some of the transducers 220 are used tosense a physical characteristic of a fluid (e.g., blood) or tissue 222,or both, that may be used to determine a position or orientation (e.g.,pose), or both, of a portion of a device 200 within, or with respect toleft atrium 204. For example, transducers 220 may be used to determine alocation of pulmonary vein ostia (not shown) or a mitral valve 226, orboth. In this example embodiment, at least some of the transducers 220may be used to selectively ablate portions of the tissue 222. Forexample, some of the transducers 220 may be used to ablate a patternaround the bodily openings, ports or pulmonary vein ostia, for instanceto reduce or eliminate the occurrence of atrial fibrillation.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a transducer-based device system (e.g., a portionthereof shown schematically) that includes a transducer-based device 300according to one illustrated embodiment. Transducer-based device 300includes a plurality of elongate members 304 (three called out in eachof FIGS. 3A and 3B) and a plurality of transducers 306 (three called outin FIG. 3A and three called out in FIG. 3B as 306 a, 306 b and 306 c).As will become apparent, the plurality of transducers 306 arepositionable within a bodily cavity. For example, in some embodiments,the transducers 306 are able to be positioned in a bodily cavity bymovement into, within, or into and within the bodily cavity, with orwithout a change in a configuration of the plurality of transducers 306.In some embodiments, the plurality of transducers 306 are arranged toform a two- or three-dimensional distribution, grid or array of thetransducers capable of mapping, ablating or stimulating an insidesurface of a bodily cavity or lumen without requiring mechanicalscanning. As shown, for example, in FIG. 3A, the plurality oftransducers 306 are arranged in a distribution receivable in a bodilycavity (not shown).

The elongate members 304 are arranged in a frame or structure 308 thatis selectively movable between an unexpanded or delivery configuration(e.g., as shown in FIG. 3A) and an expanded or deployed configuration(i.e., as shown in FIG. 3B) that may be used to position elongatemembers 304 against a tissue surface within the bodily cavity orposition the elongate members 304 in the vicinity of the tissue surface.In this embodiment, structure 308 has a size in the unexpanded ordelivery configuration suitable for delivery through a bodily opening(e.g., via catheter sheath 312) to the bodily cavity. In thisembodiment, structure 308 has a size in the expanded or deployedconfiguration too large for delivery through a bodily opening (e.g., viacatheter sheath 312) to the bodily cavity. The elongate members 304 mayform part of a flexible circuit structure (e.g., also known as aflexible printed circuit board (PCB) circuit). The elongate members 304can include a plurality of different material layers. Each of theelongate members 304 can include a plurality of different materiallayers. The structure 308 can include a shape memory material, forinstance Nitinol. The structure 308 can include a metallic material, forinstance stainless steel, or non-metallic material, for instancepolyimide, or both a metallic and non metallic material by way ofnon-limiting example. The incorporation of a specific material intostructure 308 may be motivated by various factors including the specificrequirements of each of the unexpanded or delivery configuration andexpanded or deployed configuration, the required position or orientation(e.g., pose), or both of structure 308 in the bodily cavity or therequirements for successful ablation of a desired pattern.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevation view of at least a portion of atransducer-based device 400 that includes a flexible circuit structure401 that is employed to provide a plurality of transducers 406 (twocalled out) according to an example embodiment. In some embodiments, theflexible circuit structure 401 may form part of a structure (e.g.,structure 308) that is selectively movable between a deliveryconfiguration sized for percutaneous delivery and expanded or deployedconfigurations sized too large for percutaneous delivery. In someembodiments, the flexible circuit structure 401 may be located on, orform at least part of, of a structural component (e.g., elongate member304) of a transducer-based device system.

The flexible circuit structure 401 can be formed by various techniquesincluding flexible printed circuit techniques. In some embodiments, theflexible circuit structure 401 includes various layers includingflexible layers 403 a, 403 b and 403 c (i.e., collectively flexiblelayers 403). In some embodiments, each of flexible layers 403 includesan electrical insulator material (e.g., polyimide). One or more of theflexible layers 403 can include a different material than another of theflexible layers 403. In some embodiments, the flexible circuit structure401 includes various electrically conductive layers 404 a, 404 b and 404c (collectively electrically conductive layers 404) that are interleavedwith the flexible layers 403. In some embodiments, each of theelectrically conductive layers 404 is patterned to form variouselectrically conductive elements. For example, electrically conductivelayer 404 a is patterned to form a respective electrode 415 of each ofthe transducers 406. Electrodes 415 have respective electrode edges415-1 that form a periphery of an electrically conductive surfaceassociated with the respective electrode 415.

Electrically conductive layer 404 b is patterned, in some embodiments,to form respective temperature sensors 408 for each of the transducers406 as well as various leads 410 a arranged to provide electrical energyto the temperature sensors 408. In some embodiments, each temperaturesensor 408 includes a patterned resistive member 409 (two called out)having a predetermined electrical resistance. In some embodiments, eachresistive member 409 includes a metal having relatively high electricalconductivity characteristics (e.g., copper). In some embodiments,electrically conductive layer 404 c is patterned to provide portions ofvarious leads 410 b arranged to provide an electrical communication pathto electrodes 415. In some embodiments, leads 410 b are arranged to passthough vias (not shown) in flexible layers 403 a and 403 b to connectwith electrodes 415. Although FIG. 4 shows flexible layer 403 c as beinga bottom-most layer, some embodiments may include one or more additionallayers underneath flexible layer 403 c, such as one or more structurallayers, such as a steel or composite layer. These one or more structurallayers, in some embodiments, are part of the flexible circuit structure401 and can be part of, e.g., elongate member 304. In addition, althoughFIG. 4 shows only three flexible layers 403 a-403 c and only threeelectrically conductive layers 404 a-404 c, it should be noted thatother numbers of flexible layers, other numbers of electricallyconductive layers, or both, can be included.

In some embodiments, electrodes 415 are employed to selectively deliverRF energy to various tissue structures within a bodily cavity (notshown) (e.g., an intra-cardiac cavity). The energy delivered to thetissue structures may be sufficient for ablating portions of the tissuestructures. The energy delivered to the tissue may be delivered to causemonopolar tissue ablation, bipolar tissue ablation or blendedmonopolar-bipolar tissue ablation by way of non-limiting example. Insome embodiments, each electrode 415 is employed to sense an electricalpotential in the tissue proximate the electrode 415. In someembodiments, each electrode 415 is employed in the generation of anintra-cardiac electrogram. In some embodiments, each resistive member409 is positioned adjacent a respective one of the electrodes 415. Insome embodiments, each of the resistive members 409 is positioned in astacked or layered array with a respective one of the electrodes 415 toform a respective one of the transducers 406. In some embodiments, theresistive members 409 are connected in series to allow electricalcurrent to pass through all of the resistive members 409. In someembodiments, leads 410 a are arranged to allow for a sampling ofelectrical voltage in between each resistive members 409. Thisarrangement allows for the electrical resistance of each resistivemember 409 to be accurately measured. The ability to accurately measurethe electrical resistance of each resistive member 409 may be motivatedby various reasons including determining temperature values at locationsat least proximate the resistive member 409 based at least on changes inthe resistance caused by convective cooling effects (e.g., as providedby blood flow).

Referring to FIGS. 3A, 3B, transducer-based device 300 can communicatewith, receive power from or be controlled by a transducer-activationsystem 322. In some embodiments, elongate members 304 can form a portionof an elongated cable 316 of control leads 317, for example by stackingmultiple layers, and terminating at a connector 321 or other interfacewith transducer-activation system 322. The control leads 317 maycorrespond to the electrical connectors 216 in FIG. 2 in someembodiments. The transducer-activation device system 322 may include acontroller 324 that includes a data processing device system 310 (e.g.,from FIG. 1) and a memory device system 330 (e.g., from FIG. 1) thatstores data and instructions that are executable by the data processingdevice system 310 to process information received from transducer-baseddevice 300 or to control operation of transducer-based device 300, forexample activating various selected transducers 306 to ablate tissue.Controller 324 may include one or more controllers.

Transducer-activation device system 322 includes an input-output devicesystem 320 (e.g., from FIG. 1) communicatively connected to the dataprocessing device system 310 (e.g., via controller 324 in thisembodiment). Input-output device system 320 may include auser-activatable control that is responsive to a user action.Input-output device system 320 may include one or more user interfacesor input/output (I/O) devices, for example one or more display devicesystems 332, speaker device systems 334, keyboards, mice, joysticks,track pads, touch screens or other transducers to transfer informationto, from, or both to and from a user, for example a care provider suchas a physician or technician. For example, output from a mapping processmay be displayed on a display device system 332. Input-output devicesystem 320 may include a sensing device system 325 configured to detectvarious characteristics including, but not limited to, at least one oftissue characteristics (e.g., electrical characteristics such as tissueimpedance, tissue type, tissue thickness) and thermal characteristicssuch as temperature. In this regard, the sensing device system 325 mayinclude one, some, or all of the transducers 306 (or 406 of FIG. 4) ofthe transducer based device 300, including the internal components ofsuch transducers shown in FIG. 4, such as the electrodes 315 andtemperature sensors 408.

Transducer-activation device system 322 may also include an energysource device system 340 including one or more energy source devicesconnected to transducers 306. In this regard, although FIG. 3A shows acommunicative connection between the energy source device system 340 andthe controller 324 (and its data processing device system 310), theenergy source device system 340 may also be connected to the transducers306 via a communicative connection that is independent of thecommunicative connection with the controller 324 (and its dataprocessing device system 310). For example, the energy source devicesystem 340 may receive control signals via the communicative connectionwith the controller 324 (and its data processing device system 310),and, in response to such control signals, deliver energy to, receiveenergy from, or both deliver energy to and receive energy from one ormore of the transducers 306 via a communicative connection with suchtransducers 306 (e.g., via one or more communication lines throughcatheter body 314, elongated cable 316 or catheter sheath 312) that doesnot pass through the controller 324. In this regard, the energy sourcedevice system 340 may provide results of its delivering energy to,receiving energy from, or both delivering energy to and receiving energyfrom one or more of the transducers 306 to the controller 324 (and itsdata processing device system 310) via the communicative connectionbetween the energy source device system 340 and the controller 324.

In any event, the number of energy source devices in the energy sourcedevice system 340 is fewer than the number of transducers in someembodiments. The energy source device system 340 may, for example, beconnected to various selected transducers 306 to selectively provideenergy in the form of electrical current or power (e.g., RF energy),light or low temperature fluid to the various selected transducers 306to cause ablation of tissue. The energy source device system 340 may,for example, selectively provide energy in the form of electricalcurrent to various selected transducers 306 and measure a temperaturecharacteristic, an electrical characteristic, or both at a respectivelocation at least proximate each of the various transducers 306. Theenergy source device system 340 may include as its energy source devicesvarious electrical current sources or electrical power sources. In someembodiments, an indifferent electrode 326 is provided to receive atleast a portion of the energy transmitted by at least some of thetransducers 306. Consequently, although not shown in FIG. 3A, theindifferent electrode 326 may be communicatively connected to the energysource device system 340 via one or more communication lines in someembodiments. In addition, although shown separately in FIG. 3A,indifferent electrode 326 may be considered part of the energy sourcedevice system 340 in some embodiments.

It is understood that input-output device system 320 may include othersystems. In some embodiments, input-output device system 320 mayoptionally include energy source device system 340, transducer-baseddevice 300 or both energy source device system 340 and transducer-baseddevice 300 by way of non-limiting example. Input-output device system320 may include the memory device system 330 in some embodiments.

Structure 308 can be delivered and retrieved via a catheter member, forexample a catheter sheath 312. In some embodiments, a structure providesexpansion and contraction capabilities for a portion of the medicaldevice (e.g., an arrangement, distribution or array of transducers 306).The transducers 306 can form part of, be positioned or located on,mounted or otherwise carried on the structure and the structure may beconfigurable to be appropriately sized to slide within catheter sheath312 in order to be deployed percutaneously or intravascularly. FIG. 3Ashows one embodiment of such a structure. In this example embodiment,each of the elongate members 304 includes a respective distal end 305(only one called out), a respective proximal end 307 (only one calledout) and an intermediate portion 309 (only one called out) positionedbetween the proximal end 307 and the distal end 305. The respectiveintermediate portion 309 of each elongate member 304 includes a first orfront surface 318 a that is positionable to face an interior tissuesurface within a bodily cavity (not shown) and a second or back surface318 b opposite across a thickness of the intermediate portion 309 fromthe front surface 318 a.

In some embodiments, each of the elongate members 304 is arranged frontsurface 318 a-toward-back surface 318 b in a stacked array during anunexpanded or delivery configuration similar to that described inco-assigned International Application No.: PCT/US2012/022061 andco-assigned International Application No,: PCT/US2012/022062, both ofwhich are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Inmany cases a stacked array allows the structure 308 to have a suitablesize for percutaneous or intravascular delivery. In this embodiment, theelongate members 304 are arranged to be introduced into a bodily cavity(again not shown) distal end 305 first. For clarity, not all of theelongate members 304 of structure 308 are shown in FIG. 3A. A flexiblecatheter body 314 is used to deliver structure 308 through cathetersheath 312.

In a manner similar to that described in co-assigned InternationalApplication No.: PCT/US2012/022061 and co-assigned InternationalApplication No.: PCT/US2012/022062, each of the elongate members 304 isarranged in a fanned arrangement 370 in FIG. 3B. In this embodiment, thefanned arrangement 370 is formed during the expanded or deployedconfiguration in which structure 308 is manipulated to have a size toolarge for percutaneous or intravascular delivery. In this exampleembodiment, structure 308 includes a proximal portion 308 a having afirst domed shape 309 a and a distal portion 308 b having a second domedshape 309 b. In this example embodiment, the proximal and the distalportions 308 a, 308 b include respective portions of elongate members304. In this example embodiment, the structure 308 is arranged to bedelivered distal portion 308 b first into a bodily cavity (again notshown) when the structure is in the unexpanded or delivery configurationas shown in FIG. 3A. In this example embodiment, the proximal and thedistal portions 308 a, 308 b are arranged in a clam shell configurationin the expanded or deployed configuration shown in FIG. 3B.

The transducers 306 can be arranged in various distributions orarrangements in various embodiments. In this example embodiment, variousones of the transducers 306 are spaced apart from one another in aspaced apart distribution in the delivery configuration shown in FIG.3A. In this example embodiment, various ones of the transducers 306 arearranged in a spaced apart distribution in the deployed configurationshown in FIG. 3B. In this example embodiment, various pairs oftransducers 306 are spaced apart with respect to one another. In thisexample embodiment, various regions of space are located between variouspairs of the transducers 306. For example, in FIG. 3B thetransducer-based device 300 includes at least a first transducer 306 a,a second transducer 306 b and a third transducer 306 c (all collectivelyreferred to as transducers 306). In this example embodiment each of thefirst, the second and the third transducers 306 a, 306 b and 306 c areadjacent transducers in the spaced apart distribution. In this exampleembodiment, the first and the second transducers 306 a, 306 b arelocated on different elongate members 304 while the second and the thirdtransducers 306 b, 306 c are located on a same elongate member 304. Inthis example embodiment, a first region of space 350 is between thefirst and the second transducers 306 a, 306 b. In this exampleembodiment, the first region of space 350 is not associated with anyphysical portion of structure 308. In this example embodiment, a secondregion of space 360 associated with a physical portion of device 300(e.g., a portion of an elongate member 304) is between the second andthe third transducers 306 b, 306 c. In this example embodiment, each ofthe first and the second regions of space 350, 360 does not include atransducer of transducer-based device 300. In this example embodiment,each of the first and the second regions of space 350, 360 does notinclude any transducer. It is noted that other embodiments need notemploy a group of elongate members 304 as employed in the illustratedembodiment. For example, other embodiments may employ a structure havinga one or more surfaces, at least a portion of the one or more surfacesdefining one or more openings in the structure. In these embodiments, aregion of space not associated with any physical portion of thestructure may extend over at least part of an opening of the one or moreopenings. In other example embodiments, other structures may be employedto support or carry transducers of a transducer-based device such as atransducer-based catheter. For example, an elongated catheter member maybe used to distribute the transducers in a linear or curvilinear array.Basket catheters or balloon catheters may be used to distribute thetransducers in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional array.

FIG. 7A is a block diagram of a method 700 employed according to someexample embodiments. In various example embodiments, a memory devicesystem (e.g., memory device systems 130, 330) is communicativelyconnected to a data processing device system (e.g., data processingdevice systems 110 or 310) and stores a program executable by the dataprocessing device system to cause the data processing device system toexecute method 700 via interaction with at least, for example, atransducer-based device (e.g., transducer-based devices 200, 300, or400). In these various embodiments, the program may include instructionsconfigured to perform, or cause to be performed, various ones of theinstructions associated with method 700. In some embodiments, method 700may include a subset of the associated blocks or additional blocks thanthose shown in FIG. 7A. In some embodiments, method 700 may include adifferent sequence between various ones of the associated blocks thanthose shown in FIG. 7A.

Block 702 includes instructions (e.g., graphical representationinstructions or graphical interface instructions provided by a program)configured to cause an input-output device system (e.g., input-outputdevice system 120 or 320) to display a graphical representation of atleast a portion of a transducer-based device. For example, FIG. 5Aillustrates a graphical interface including a graphical representation500 provided by the input-output device system according to one exampleembodiment provided in accordance with block 702. In this embodiment,the transducer-based device is a catheter-based device similar todevices 200 and 300 shown respectively in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this exampleembodiment, the graphical interface depicts graphical representation 500of the transducer-based device as including a first domed portion 500 aassociated with a first domed portion of the transducer-based device(e.g., proximal portion 308 a when having the first domed shape 309 a)and a second domed portion 500 b associated with a second domed portionof the transducer-based device (e.g., distal portion 308 b having thesecond domed shape 309 b). Various other transducer-based devices may bedepicted in other embodiments. FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5Iand 5J (collectively FIG. 5) are presented in this disclosure inassociation with various different embodiments. It is understood thateach of the different embodiments need not be associated with all of theFIG. 5, and in some cases will only be associated with a subset of theFIG. 5.

In this embodiment, the graphical representation 500 includes aplurality of graphical elements 501. Each of the graphical elements 501is respectively associated with a respective one of a plurality oftransducer sets. Each respective transducer set includes at least one ofa plurality of transducers included as part of the transducer-baseddevice (e.g., transducer-based devices 200, 300, or 400) and eachrespective transducer set has at least one different transducer thananother of the other transducer sets. In this particular embodiment,each respective transducer set has at least one different transducerthan each of the others of the other transducer sets.

In this example embodiment, each of at least some of the graphicalelements 501 are provided by a respective one of a plurality oftransducer graphical elements 502 that include at least a firsttransducer graphical element 502 a, a second transducer graphicalelement 502 b, and a third transducer graphical element 502 c (e.g., allthe transducer graphical elements collectively referred to as transducergraphical elements 502). In this example embodiment, each transducergraphical element 502 is associated with a single respective transducerof the transducer-based device. In some example embodiments, eachtransducer graphical element 502 is representative of a respectivetransducer of the transducer-based device. In some example embodiments,each transducer graphical element 502 is representative of a location orposition of a respective transducer of the transducer-based device. Inthis example embodiment, the graphical representation 500 includes afirst spatial relationship between the transducer graphical elements 502that is consistent with a second spatial relationship between thecorresponding transducers associated with the transducer graphicalelements 502. An electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) signal 523 is also shown inthe graphical interface of FIG. 5A.

In this example embodiment, each of at least some of the graphicalelements 501 are provided by a respective one of a plurality of betweengraphical elements 504 including a first between graphical element 504 aand a second between graphical element 504 b (e.g., all the betweengraphical elements collectively referred to as between graphicalelements 504). In various embodiments, each of the between graphicalelements 504 is associated with a set of at least two of the transducersof the transducer-based device. In some example embodiments, each of thebetween graphical elements 504 is associated with a pair of transducersin the transducer-based device. In some example embodiments, eachbetween graphical element 504 is associated with a region of spacebetween a respective pair of transducers in the transducer-based device.In some example embodiments, each between graphical element 504 isassociated with a region of space between a respective pair of adjacentones of the transducers in the transducer-based device.

In this example embodiment, first transducer graphical element 502 a isassociated with a first transducer (e.g., first transducer 306 a) of thetransducer-based device, second transducer graphical element 502 bassociated with a second transducer (e.g., second transducer 306 b) ofthe transducer-based device, and third transducer graphical element 502c associated with a third transducer (e.g., third transducer 306 c) ofthe transducer-based device. In this example embodiment, the firstbetween graphical element 504 a is associated with a first region ofspace that is between the first and the second transducers and thesecond between graphical element 504 b is associated with a secondregion of space that is between the second and the third transducers. Inthis illustrated embodiment, the first region of space is a region ofspace that is not associated with any physical part of thetransducer-based device (e.g., first region of space 350) and the secondregion of space is a region of space that is associated with a physicalpart of the transducer-based device (e.g., second region of space 360).In this example embodiment, each of the first and the second betweengraphical elements 504 a, 504 b is associated with a region of spacethat does not include a transducer of the transducer-based device. Inthis example embodiment, each of the first and the second betweengraphical elements 504 a, 504 b is associated with a region of spacethat does not include any transducer. It is understood that a “region ofspace” need not be a vacant space but can include physical mattertherein.

In this example embodiment, the second transducer graphical element 502b is depicted in a first direction (e.g., represented by arrow 506 a)from the first transducer graphical element 502 a, and the first betweengraphical element 504 a is positioned between the second and the firsttransducer graphical elements 502 b, 502 a in the graphicalrepresentation. In this example embodiment, the third transducergraphical element 502 c is depicted in a second direction (e.g.,represented by arrow 506 b) from the second transducer graphical element502 b, and the second between graphical element 504 b is positionedbetween the second and the third transducer graphical elements 502 b,502 c. In this example embodiment, the first and the second directionsare non-parallel to each other. In this example embodiment, the firstbetween graphical element 504 a is formed, at least in part, at alocation in the graphical representation intersected by the firstdirection from the first graphical transducer element 502 a and thesecond between graphical element 504 b is formed, at least in part at alocation in the graphical representation intersected by the seconddirection from the second transducer graphical element 502 b. In otherexample embodiments, other spatial relationships exist between thetransducer graphical elements 502 and the between graphical elements 504in the graphical representation. It is understood that arrows 506 a, 506b do not form part of the graphical representation in this embodiment.

In this example embodiment, each of the between graphical elements 504includes a first end 507 (only one called out), a second end 508 (onlyone called out) and an elongate portion 509 (only one called out)extending between the first and the second ends 507, 508. The transducergraphical elements 502, the between graphical elements 504, or both mayhave different sizes, shapes or forms than those shown in theillustrated embodiment. In some embodiments, different ones of thetransducer graphical elements 502 may be depicted with different shapes,sizes or forms in the graphical representation. In some embodiments,different ones of the between graphical elements 504 may be depictedwith different shapes, sizes or forms in the graphical representation.In this embodiment, the respective elongate portion 509 of the firstbetween graphical element 504 a is depicted extending along the firstdirection (e.g., again represented by arrow 506 a) and the respectiveelongate portion 509 of the second between graphical element 504 b isdepicted extending along the second direction (e.g., again representedby arrow 506 b). In this example embodiment the first direction isdepicted generally orthogonal to the second direction in thethree-dimensional graphical representation. Other orientations betweenthe first and the second direction are possible in other embodiments.For example, FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical interface including agraphical representation 600 provided by an input-output device system(e.g., input-output device system 120 or 320) according to anotherexample embodiment. In a manner similar to FIG. 5A, the graphicalinterface of FIG. 6 provides a graphical representation 600 thatincludes a plurality of graphical elements 601, each of the graphicalelements 601 associated with a respective one of a plurality oftransducer sets. Each respective transducer set includes at least one ofa plurality of the transducers included as part of the transducer-baseddevice and each respective transducer set has at least one differenttransducer than another of the other transducer sets. In this particularembodiment, each respective transducer set has at least one differenttransducer than each of the others of the other transducer sets.

In a manner similar to the embodiment of FIG. 5A, the plurality ofgraphical elements 601 include a plurality of transducer graphicalelements 602 (e.g., including transducer graphical elements 602 a, 602 band 602 c) and a plurality of between graphical elements 604. In amanner similar to the embodiment of FIG. 5A, each of the transducergraphical elements 602 is associated with a transducer of atransducer-based device and each of the between graphical elements 604is associated with a region of space between a pair of transducers of atransducer based-device. In a manner similar to the embodiment of FIG.5A, each of at least some of the between graphical elements (e.g., firstbetween graphical element 604 a and a third between graphical element604 c) is associated with a respective region of space that is notassociated with any physical part of the transducer-based device. In amanner similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, each of at least someof the between graphical elements (e.g., second between graphicalelements 604 b) is associated with a respective region of space that isassociated with a physical portion of the transducer-based device (e.g.,an elongate member 304). In a manner similar to the embodiment shown inFIG. 5A, each of the between graphical elements 604 includes a first end607 (only one called out), a second end 608 (only one called out) and anelongate portion 609 (only one called out) extending between the firstand the second ends 607, 608. In this example embodiment, the respectiveelongate portion 609 of each of two of first ones of the betweengraphical element (e.g., between graphical elements 604 a, 604 b) isdepicted extending along a respective first direction (e.g., representedby respective ones of arrows 606 a, 606 b), and the respective elongateportion 609 of a second one of the between graphical elements 604 (e.g.,between graphical element 604 c) is depicted extending along a seconddirection (e.g., represented by arrow 606 c). In this exampleembodiment, the second direction is oblique to each of the firstdirections. In this example embodiment, the second direction forms anacute angle with respect to each of the first directions. In thisillustrated embodiment, each between graphical element 604 is associatedwith a region of space that does not include a transducer of atransducer-based device. In this illustrated embodiment, each betweengraphical element 604 is associated with a region of space that does notinclude any transducer.

Referring back to FIG. 5A, at least a portion of the transducergraphical elements 502, and at least a portion of the between graphicalelements 504 are arranged in a plurality of rows 510 (two called out)and a plurality of columns 512 (two called out, each column 512identified in the graphical representation by a respective one ofletters “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F”, “G”, “H”, “I”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M”,“N”, “O”, “P”, “Q”, “R”, “S”, and “T”). In this example embodiment, aportion of each of the columns 512 corresponds to region of spaceassociated with a physical portion of the transducer-based device (e.g.,an elongate member 304). In this example embodiment, each of the columns512 corresponds to at least a portion of the transducers located on aparticular elongate member of a transducer-based device (e.g., anelongate member 304). In this example embodiment, each of the columns512 corresponds to at least a portion of the transducers located on arespective one of a pair of domed portions arranged in a clam shellconfiguration similar to the embodiments of FIG. 3B. In embodiments inwhich each domed portion is formed by a respective portion of each of aplurality of elongate members (e.g., elongate members 304), a set of twoor more of the columns 512 may correspond to the transducers located ona single one of the elongate members.

In this example embodiment, a portion of each of the rows 510corresponds to regions of space not associated with any physical portionof the transducer-based device (e.g., regions of space 350 betweenadjacent ones of the elongate members 304). In other exampleembodiments, different numbers of transducer graphical elements 502 anddifferent numbers and spatial arrangements of between graphical elements504 may be depicted in the graphical representation. In other exampleembodiments, different numbers and spatial arrangements of rows 510 andcolumns 512 may be depicted in the graphical representation. In variousembodiments, each of the between graphical elements (e.g., betweengraphical elements 504, 604) depicted in the graphical representationare representative of a respective physical path extending between arespective pair of transducers of the transducer-based device. Each ofthe physical paths may extend over a physical surface of thetransducer-based device or over a portion of an opening defined by aphysical surface of the transducer-based device. In the embodiment shownin FIG. 6, each between graphical element 604 is representative of arespective physical path extending between the respective transducersassociated with the adjacent pair of transducer graphical elements 602that the between graphical element 604 extends between. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 6, each adjacent pair of the transducergraphical elements 602 may be provided along a row 610 (two called out)of the graphical elements 601, along a column 612 (two called out) ofthe graphical elements 601, or diagonally between a row 610 and a column612.

Referring back to FIG. 5A, the transducer graphical elements 502 and thebetween graphical elements 504 in each respective one of the rows 510are interleaved with respect to one another along the respective one ofthe rows 510. In this illustrated embodiment, the transducer graphicalelements 502 and the between graphical elements 504 in each respectiveone of the columns 512 are interleaved with respect to one another alongthe respective one of the columns 512. In this illustrated embodiment,each one of the plurality of columns 512 shares a same transducergraphical element 502 with one of the plurality of rows 510. In thisillustrated embodiment, each respective one of the plurality of columns512 excludes any of the between graphical elements 504 included in eachof the plurality of rows 510. In this illustrated embodiment, at least afirst one of the between graphical elements 504 (e.g., second betweengraphical element 504 b) is depicted in the graphical representationbetween two adjacent ones of the plurality of rows 510 and at least asecond one of the plurality of between graphical elements 504 (e.g.,first between graphical element 504 a) is positioned between twoadjacent ones of the plurality of columns 512. In this exampleembodiment, the plurality of rows 510 and the plurality of columns 512are depicted as a three-dimensional arrangement in the graphicalrepresentation. In this example embodiment, at least two of theplurality of columns 512 are depicted in the graphical representationextending along respective directions that converge with respect to oneanother. In this illustrated embodiment, at least two of the pluralityof columns 512 are depicted in the graphical representation extendingalong non-parallel directions and at least two of the plurality of rows510 are depicted extending along parallel directions. In thisillustrated embodiment, the rows 510 and the columns 512 are depicted inthe graphical representation in an arrangement in which the columns 512are circumferentially arranged. In this illustrated embodiment, the rows510 and the columns 512 are depicted in the graphical representation inan arrangement having a generally spherical shape. In this illustratedembodiment, the respective first end 507 and the respective second end508 of each of at least some of the plurality of between graphicalelements 504 connects to a transducer graphical element 502 in thegraphical representation. The transducer graphical elements 602 and aportion of the between graphical elements 604 in the embodiment of FIG.6 are arranged in a similar manner to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A.In the embodiment of FIG. 6, at least some of the between graphicalelements 604 extend along respective directions that form acute angleswith the respective directions extended along by others of the betweengraphical elements 604. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, at least some ofthe between graphical elements 604 extend along respective directionsthat form acute angles with the respective directions extended along bya row 610 or a column 612.

The graphical interface of FIG. 5B includes the graphical representation500 with the addition of identification labels 513 (two called out) toeach of the transducer graphical elements 502. In this exampleembodiment identification labels are applied by operating theinput-output device system to activate a control button 514 identifiedas “View Options”. Selection, activation, or both selection andactivation of a control button, a selection box or other graphicalelement provided in the various embodiments may be accomplished viavarious input-output device system controls that can include a touchscreen, keyboard or computer mouse by way of non-limiting example. Inthis embodiment, selection of control button 514 causes the selectionmenu 515 identified as “Model View Options” to appear in the graphicalrepresentation. Selection menu 515 provides various selection boxes 516that are selectable to vary the graphical representation of the portionof the transducer-based device between a three-dimensionalrepresentation (e.g., as depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B) and a twodimensional representation (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 5D). Varioustwo-dimensional representations are possible in various embodiments. Forexample, the two-dimensional representation depicted in FIG. 5D is shownin a “Mercator-type” representation in which the first domed portion 500a (e.g., shown in FIG. 5A) of the depicted transducer-based device isdepicted as first Mercator projection 518 a and the second domed portion500 b (e.g., shown in FIG. 5A) of the depicted transducer-based deviceis a depicted as a second Mercator projection 518 b. The first and thesecond Mercator projections 518 a and 518 b advantageously allow forsimultaneous viewing of all the transducer graphical elements 502 andthe between graphical elements 504. Other two-dimensionalrepresentations including polar projections are also selectable.

Selection menu 515 provides various selection boxes 520 that can controlmouse drag functions between rotating and panning modes. A rotating modemay be advantageously used for manipulation of a three-dimensionalrepresentation of the transducer-based device to allow for viewing aportion of the three-dimensional representation that was not previouslyviewable. Selection menu 515 includes a plurality of selection boxes 522that allow for variations in the viewable content of the graphicalrepresentation. In this embodiment, a selection box 522 allows for theselective inclusion in the graphical representation of graphicalelements associated with various anatomical features. In some exampleembodiments, the graphical elements associated with the anatomicalfeatures are selectable from a menu and may be tailored to a particularprocedure in which the transducer-based device is employed. Various onesof the selection boxes 522 allow for selective inclusions of thetransducer graphical elements 502 (e.g., indicated as “Electrodes” inthis illustrated embodiment) and the selective inclusion of the betweengraphical elements 504 (e.g., indicated as “Segments” in thisillustrated embodiment). In this embodiment, a selection box 522 allowsfor the selective inclusion in the graphical representation of graphicalelements associated with lesions which may be of particular interest inembodiments in which various transducers of the transducer based-deviceablate tissue to form the lesions therein.

In this example embodiment, a selection box 522 allows for the selectiveinclusion of identification labels 513 (e.g., indicated as “Labels” inthis illustrated embodiment). In this example embodiment, each of theidentification labels 513 is employs an alpha-numeric format including aletter representative of the column 512 in which a correspondingtransducer graphical element is located and a number representative of alocation of the transducer graphical element 502 in the correspondingcolumn 514. Other identification schemes may be employed in otherembodiments.

Having described examples of the graphical representation displayedaccording to the instructions of block 702 in FIG. 7A, the selection ofone or more graphical elements in the graphical representation accordingto some embodiments will now be described with respect to block 710 inFIG. 7A. Accordingly, although FIG. 7A shows block 710 located afterblocks 707 and 708, the invention is not limited to this arrangement,and the selection of one or more graphical elements according to block710 can occur at any time the graphical elements are selectable, such aswhen they are displayed in the graphical representation displayedaccording to block 702. Blocks 704, 706, 707, and 708 in FIG. 7A aredescribed afterwards.

In this regard, the selection according to the instructions of block 710includes, in some embodiments, multiple constituent or sub-selections(although in other embodiments, the selection according to theinstructions of block 710 includes only a single selection). Forinstance, in some embodiments, block 710 includes selection instructionsconfigured to cause, due to execution of the selection instructions bythe data processing device system (e.g., exemplified by data processingdevice systems 110 or 310), selection of a graphical element. In someembodiments, such selection instructions include a first group ofinstructions configured to cause the data processing device system toreceive or process, via the input-output device system, a userinstruction to select a graphical element. In some of these embodiments,such selection instructions also include a second group of instructionsconfigured to cause the data processing device system to perform its ownselection of the graphical element in response to receiving the userinstruction. For instance, the user instruction to select the graphicalelement might originate from a user clicking a mouse button (e.g., afirst constituent selection) while a cursor is above a user-selectedgraphical element. In this case, the first group of instructions couldconfigure the data processing device system to recognize this userinstruction when it is received via the data input-output device systemas a user instruction to select the user-selected graphical elementbelow the cursor at the time of the mouse-button click. In someembodiments, the second group of instructions may configure the dataprocessing device system, in response to the first group of instructionsrecognizing this user instruction, to perform its own selection (e.g., asecond constituent selection) of the user-selected graphical element atleast by causing, via the input output device system, the display of theuser-selected graphical element to change one or more visualcharacteristics of the user-selected graphical element. Accordingly, theselection according to the instructions of block 710 may be deemed, insome embodiments, to involve a first, user-based constituent selectionand a second, machine-based or automatic constituent selection triggeredby the user-based constituent selection.

Although a mouse-click was provided above as an example of a user-basedconstituent selection, and the changing of a visual characteristic ofthe user-selected graphical element was provided as an example of amachine-based constituent selection, it should be noted, however, thatany form of user-based selection or machine-based selection of agraphical element known in the art can be used. In this regard, directinteraction with a graphical element itself (e.g., by way of a mouseclick on the graphical element) is not required to directly select thegraphical element or its corresponding transducer. For example, a usermight type a unique identifier associated with a graphical element ortransducer via a keyboard, which can cause direct selection of thatgraphical element or transducer.

Further, although a user-based constituent selection of a user-selectedgraphical element followed by a machine-based constituent selection ofthat user-selected graphical element was provided above as an example ofconstituent selections involved with block 710, it should be noted thata user-based constituent selection of a first user-selected graphicalelement can also cause a machine-based constituent selection of asecond, different, non-user-selected graphical element. For example, auser-performed mouse-click while the mouse cursor is above auser-selected between-graphical element 504 (e.g., a user-basedconstituent selection) can cause, possibly among other things, amachine-based constituent selection of the non-user-selected transducergraphical elements 502 at each end of the user-selected betweengraphical element 504. In this regard, the phrase, “user-selected”, whenused herein to describe a selected graphical element (e.g., a transducergraphical element or a between graphical element), is intended to referto a graphical element directly selected by a user, as opposed to anon-user-selected graphical element, which is a machine-selectedgraphical element that is machine-selected either in response to no userinstruction to select any graphical element or in response to auser-instruction to select a user-selected graphical element differentthan the machine-selected graphical element. In cases where a userselection of a user-selected graphical element causes amachine-selection of a different graphical element, it can be said thatthe different graphical element is indirectly selected by the user.

Further still, although a user-based constituent selection followed by amachine-based constituent selection was provided above as an example ofconstituent selections involved with block 710, it should be noted thatany number of constituent selections, whether user-based ormachine-based, can be involved with block 710. For example, dependingupon how the user-interface is structured, one or more user-basedconstituent selections may result in one or more machine-basedconstituent selections. For instance, multiple user gestures (e.g., adouble-fingered gesture on a touch screen, a mouseclick-drag-and-release sequence, or other multiple user-gesturetechnique) might be required to identify a particular user-selectedgraphical element in order to cause the data processing device system tochange the visual characteristics of (or provide another form ofselection of) the particular user-selected graphical element. Foranother example, multiple user-based constituent selections might be amouse click-and-hold followed by a dragging of a cursor to expand aselection box originating from the initial mouse click location,followed by a releasing of the mouse button to define the final size ofthe selection box. This initial user-based selection (comprised of themultiple user-based constituent selections) could be recognized by thedata processing device system according to the above-discussed firstgroup of instructions, and cause multiple machine-based or automaticconstituent selections performed by the data processing device systemaccording to the above-discussed second group of instructions. Forinstance, these multiple machine-based or automatic constituentselections could include a first constituent selection by the dataprocessing device system of all graphical elements residing within theselection box, followed by a second constituent selection of only thosegraphical elements deemed to reside within the selection box whosecorresponding transducers have been deemed acceptable for concurrentselection (see, e.g., the discussions below regarding block 707 in FIG.7A, as well as the discussions below regarding FIG. 7B) or activation(see, e.g., the discussions below regarding block 708 in FIG. 7A andblock 804 in FIG. 8).

Further still, although one or more user-based constituent selectionsfollowed by one or more machine-based constituent selections wasprovided above as an example of constituent selections involved withblock 710, it should be noted that block 710 might not involve anyuser-based constituent selections. For example, graphical elementselection according to block 710 might occur based upon data receivedfrom transducers, and this data might result in one or moremachine-based or automatic constituent selections performed by the dataprocessing device system.

It should be noted that, whenever a selection of a graphical element isdiscussed herein, such selection, in some embodiments, can include theabove-discussed constituent selections. However, the above-discussedconstituent selections are not limited to just selections of graphicalelements and can apply to any selection described herein. For example,one or more user-based constituent selections of a user-selectedgraphical element can lead to one or more machine-based constituentselections of the user-selected graphical element or some othergraphical element(s), which can lead to one or more machine-basedselections of one or more transducers corresponding to themachine-selected graphical elements, the machine-based selection(s) ofthe one or more transducers possibly causing an activation of the one ormore transducers. For another example, one or more user-basedconstituent selections of a user-selected graphical element can lead toone or more machine-based constituent selections of one or more dataobjects associated with the user-selected graphical element, one or moreother associated graphical elements, one or more transducers associatedwith the user-selected graphical element, or one or more other objectsassociated with the user-selected graphical element, such as forpurposes of viewing or changing properties of the one or more dataobjects or causing an activation based upon information provided by theone or more data objects. It should also be noted that theabove-discussion regarding block 710 and user and machine basedselections and constituent selections may apply, in some embodiments, toblock 710 in FIG. 7B, block 808 in FIG. 8, block 908 in FIG. 9, blocks807 and 808 in FIG. 10, or any other selection-based discussions herein.

In view of the above-discussion regarding selection types involved withblock 710, in some embodiments, the instructions of block 710 areprovided in a program that includes instructions configured to cause thedata processing device system to receive a selection from theinput-output device system of a transducer graphical element (e.g.,transducer graphical element 502 or 602).

The selection of one or more graphical elements according toinstructions of block 710 in FIG. 7A may cause, in some embodiments, anactivation of at least some transducer sets of a transducer-based device(e.g., 200, 300, or 400) according to instructions of block 712. In someembodiments, block 712 includes instructions configured to cause anactivation of each of at least some of the transducer sets of thetransducer-based device (e.g., again exemplified by transducer baseddevices 200, 300, or 400) in response to receiving a selection of acorresponding one of the graphical elements (e.g., graphical elements501, 601) in accordance with selection instructions included in block710.

In some embodiments, the program can include activation instructions(e.g., in accordance with block 712) configured to, in response toreceiving the selection of a transducer graphical element (e.g.,transducer graphical element 502, 602), cause, via the input-outputdevice system, activation of the respective transducer of thetransducer-based device corresponding to the selected transducergraphical element. In various embodiments, the instructions configuredto activate the respective transducer corresponding to the selectedtransducer graphical element include instructions that are configured tocause energy from an energy source device system (e.g., energy sourcedevice system 340) to be delivered to the respective transducer. In someembodiments, a sensing device system (e.g., provided at least in part bya number of the transducers) is arranged to sense at least one tissueelectrical characteristic (e.g., tissue impedance) at a respectivelocation at least proximate the respective transducer corresponding tothe selected transducer graphical element with the energy delivered tothe transducer (e.g., in some embodiments, tissue impedance may bemeasured between transducers on the structure 308 or between atransducer on the structure 308 and the indifferent electrode 326). Insome of these various embodiments, the energy is sufficient for ablatingtissue (e.g., tissue-ablating energy). In some of these variousembodiments, an indifferent electrode (e.g., indifferent electrode 326)is provided (e.g., usually to an external surface of a body) while thetransducer-based device is received in a bodily cavity within the body.A portion of the tissue-ablating energy delivered to the respectivetransducer corresponding to the selected transducer graphical elementmay be transmitted from the respective transducer to the indifferentelectrode in a process typically referred to as monopolar ablation. Insome embodiments, the instructions of block 712 that are configured toactivate the respective transducer corresponding to the selectedtransducer graphical element includes instructions that are configuredto cause a sensing device system (e.g., sensing device system 325) todetect electrophysiological activity in an intra-cardiac cavity at alocation at least proximate the respective transducer. The detectedelectrophysiological activity can be displayed as an electrogram via theinput-output device system (e.g. electrograms 535 in various ones ofFIG. 5). In some embodiments, detection of electrophysiological activityin an intra-cardiac cavity at a location at least proximate various onesof the transducers occurs continuously. Other forms of activation of therespective transducer corresponding to the selected transducer graphicalelement are possible in other embodiments. In some embodiments,activation of the respective transducer corresponding to the selectedtransducer graphical element under the influence of the instructionsconfigured to activate the respective transducer is referred to asmonopolar activation. Monopolar activation can include activation formonopolar ablation or monopolar electrogram generation by way ofnon-limiting example.

For another example, in some embodiments, the instructions of block 710are provided in a program that includes selection instructionsconfigured to cause, due to execution of the selection instructions bythe data processing device system (e.g., again exemplified by dataprocessing device systems 110 or 310), reception of a selection from theinput-output device system of a between graphical element (e.g., betweengraphical elements 504 or 604). In accordance with the instructions ofblock 712 the program can include activation instructions configured to,in response to receiving the selection, cause activation, via theinput-output device system, of a respective set of two or more of thetransducers (e.g., a pair of the transducers in some embodiments) of thetransducer-based device corresponding to the between graphical element.

Advantageously, activating a set of two or more of the transducers basedon a selection of a single graphical element (e.g., between graphicalelement 504 or 604) provides for a workflow that is less cumbersome andmore expeditious than individually selecting the respective graphicalelements (e.g., transducer graphical elements 502 or 602) associatedwith each transducer of the set of two or more of the transducers,especially when 50, 100, 200 or even over 300 or more transducergraphical elements are provided in the graphical representation. This iseven more advantageous, when a single graphical element (e.g., betweengraphical element 504 or 604) provides additional information (e.g.,spatial information) relating each of the transducers in the set of twoor more of the transducers. For example, a between graphical element 504or 604 can indicate a distance between or acceptability-of-activation oftransducers of a corresponding transducer pair, and, accordingly, thebetween graphical element 504 or 604 provides, in some embodiments,information about the corresponding pair of transducers and, thereby,makes the selection process more efficient. In addition, allowingselection of the between-graphical elements for corresponding transduceractivation can provide a more intuitive user-interface in certainapplications. For example, such an arrangement allows a user to makeselections along an ablation path or a path along which data is to beobtained, without having to focus on the transducers required to makethat ablation path or acquire that data. The user can, for example, justselect a path using between graphical elements (e.g., user-basedselection(s)/constituent selection(s)), and the correspondingtransducers are automatically selected (e.g., machine-basedselection(s)/constituent selection(s)) in response. Since various onesof the between graphical elements need not be tied to any physicalportion of the transducer-based device, they can be freely designed toreflect the path (e.g., over tissue or fluid) in which theircorresponding transducers will interact when activated (e.g., by causingablation or gathering data). In this regard, if the between graphicalelements are configured to accurately represent their respective pathsegments in which ablation or data gathering will occur, according tosome embodiments, the user can gain an even better understanding of theexpected results of activation of the corresponding transducers.

In some of the embodiments where the instructions according to block 712are configured to cause a data processing device system to activate arespective set of two or more of the transducers, the instructionsaccording to block 712 include instructions that are configured to causeenergy from an energy source device system (e.g., energy source devicesystem 340) to be delivered to the respective set of two or more of thetransducers. In some embodiments, a sensing device system (e.g., sensingdevice system 325) is arranged to sense at least one tissue electricalcharacteristic (e.g., tissue impedance) at respective locations at leastproximate each transducer of the respective set of two or more of thetransducers with the energy delivered to the respective set of two ormore of the transducers (e.g., in some embodiments, tissue impedance maybe measured between transducers on the structure 308 or between atransducer on the structure 308 and the indifferent electrode 326). Insome embodiments, (a) a portion of the energy delivered to a firsttransducer of the respective set of two or more of the transducers(e.g., first transducer 304 a) is transmitted by the first transducer,(b) a portion of the energy delivered to a second transducer of therespective set of two or more of the transducers (e.g., secondtransducer 304 b) is transmitted by the second transducer, or both (a)or (b). In some of embodiments, (a) a portion of the energy delivered toa first transducer of the respective set of two or more of thetransducers (e.g., first transducer 304 a) is transmitted by the firsttransducer to a second transducer of the respective set of two or moreof the transducers (e.g., second transducer 304 b), (b) a portion of theenergy delivered to the second transducer of the respective set of twoor more of the transducers is transmitted by the second transducer tothe first transducer, or both (a) or (b). In some embodiments, theenergy is sufficient for ablating tissue (e.g., tissue ablating energy).In some example embodiments, a selected between graphical element (e.g.,between graphical elements 504 or 604) is representative of a physicalpath extending between a respective pair of the transducers associatedwith the selected between graphical element and the energy is sufficientfor ablating a portion of tissue extending along the physical path. Aportion of the tissue-ablating energy may be transmitted between therespective pair of the transducers in a process typically referred to asbipolar ablation. In some embodiments, an indifferent electrode (e.g.,indifferent electrode 326) is provided (e.g., usually to an externalsurface of a body) while the transducer-based device is received in abodily cavity within the body. Some of the tissue-ablating energy may betransmitted between the respective pair of the transducers while some ofthe tissue-ablating energy may be transmitted from various ones of therespective pair of the transducers to the indifferent electrode in aprocess typically referred to as blended monopolar-bipolar ablation. Theterm “bipolar ablation” as used in this disclosure is to be interpretedbroadly to include blended monopolar-bipolar ablation in someembodiments.

In addition to embodiments where the instructions according to block 712are configured to cause a data processing device system to cause bipolarablation, the instructions according to block 712, in some embodiments,are configured to cause a data processing device system to causemulti-transducer monopolar ablation with the respective set of two ormore of the transducers, e.g., dual monopolar ablation for twotransducers, or triple monopolar ablation for three transducers. In suchcases, for example, the respective set of two or more of the transducersmay be ‘queued’ for monopolar ablation, such that monopolar ablationoccurs for each transducer in the respective set of two or more of thetransducers within some period of time, but not necessarily at the sametime or even contiguously one right after another. In this regard,references herein to the occurrence of monopolar ablation for more thanone transducer may include this multi-transducer monopolar ablationaccording to some embodiments. In addition, any reference herein to theoccurrence of bipolar ablation may be replaced with the occurrence ofdual monopolar ablation (or other multi-transducer monopolar ablationwhen more than two transducers are involved), according to someembodiments.

In some embodiments, the instructions, according to block 712,configured to activate the respective set of two or more of thetransducers include instructions that are configured to cause a sensingdevice system to detect electrophysiological activity in anintra-cardiac cavity at each of respective locations at least proximateeach of the transducers of the set. The detected electrophysiologicalactivity detected at each of the respective locations can be displayedas an electrogram via the input-output device system (e.g., electrograms535 shown in various ones of FIG. 5). In some example embodiments, acombined electrogram (e.g., a bipolar electrogram) (not shown) may bedetermined (e.g., by instructions provided by a program) from therespective electrograms associated with each transducer of therespective set of two or more of the transducers. The program mayinclude instructions configured to display the combined electrogram viathe input-output device system. Other forms of activation are possiblein other embodiments involving activation of a respective set of two ormore of the transducers. In some embodiments, activation under theinfluence of the instructions configured to activate a respective pairof transducers associated with a selected between graphical element maybe referred to as bipolar activation when the pair of the transducers isactivated in a bipolar manner (e.g., bipolar ablation or bipolarelectrogram generation). Selection of each of at least some of theplurality of graphical elements 501 or 601 in accordance with theinstructions of block 710 may include independent selections of each ofthe at least some of the graphical elements 501 or 601.

Having discussed embodiments where blocks 710 and 712 follow block 702in FIG. 7A, a discussion will now begin regarding embodiments whereblock 704 follows block 702. Block 704 of method 700, in someembodiments, includes instructions (e.g., input instructions included ina program) that cause the data processing device system (e.g., dataprocessing device systems 110 or 310) to receive transducer data from atleast some of the transducers via the input-output device system. Thistransducer data can take various forms, such as one or more of variousdetected characteristics including, but not limited to, e.g., electricalcharacteristics (such as electrical potential or impedance), thermalcharacteristics (such as temperature), and force.

Various embodiments can process or analyze the transducer data receivedby the data processing device system according to the instructions ofblock 704 in order to, for example, generate and possibly display one ormore electrograms, determine the acceptability of selection oractivation of particular transducers, generate a map (e.g., a map ofanatomical features), determine the status of tissue ablation, orcombinations of these tasks. Accordingly, it should be noted that someembodiments need not be limited to any particular form of processing oranalysis of the transducer data received by the data processing devicesystem according to the instructions of block 704. In this regard,although various embodiments need not be limited to any particularprocessing or analysis of the transducer data received according to theinstructions of block 704, block 706 of method 700 pertains to someembodiments where the transducer data is analyzed to identify variousregions that correspond to at least a portion of one or more anatomicalfeatures. For example, according to some embodiments, block 706 includesinstructions (e.g., determination or identification instructionsincluded in a program) that are configured to identify various regions525 (e.g., FIGS. 5C-5I) in the graphical representation (generatedaccording to the instructions of block 702) that correspond to at leasta portion of one or more anatomical features based at least on ananalysis of the transducer data.

In embodiments such as these, where the transducer-based device isdeployed in a bodily cavity (e.g., when the transducer-based devicetakes the form of a catheter device arranged to be percutaneously orintravascularly delivered to a bodily cavity), it may be desirable toperform various mapping procedures in the bodily cavity. Although thesemapping procedures can be implemented according to the instructions ofblock 706, these mapping procedures can be performed at other times,such as any time during the generation of or after the display of thegraphical representation of at least a portion of the transducer-baseddevice (e.g., block 702, 802, or 902). It is noted that in someembodiments, the mapping procedure need not be limited to the mapping ofvarious anatomical landmarks. For example, when the bodily cavity is anintra-cardiac cavity, the mapping procedure may include mappingelectrophysiological activity in the intra-cardiac cavity. In someembodiments, the mapping procedure may include mapping varying degreesof contact between various ones of the transducers (e.g., electrodes)and a tissue surface of a bodily cavity into which the transducers arelocated.

An example of the mapping performed by devices according to variousembodiments (such as those represented by block 706 in FIG. 7A) would beto locate the position of the ports of various bodily openingspositioned in fluid communication with a bodily cavity. For example, insome embodiments, it may be desired to determine the locations ofvarious ones of the pulmonary veins or the mitral valve that eachinterrupt an interior surface of an intra-cardiac cavity such as a leftatrium.

In some example embodiments, the mapping is based at least on locatingsuch bodily openings by differentiating between fluid and tissue (e.g.,tissue defining a surface of a bodily cavity). There are many ways todifferentiate tissue from a fluid such as blood or to differentiatetissue from a bodily opening in case a fluid is not present. Fourapproaches may include by way of non-limiting example:

1. The use of convective cooling of heated transducer elements by fluid.A slightly heated arrangement of transducers that is positioned adjacentto the tissue that forms the interior surface(s) of a bodily cavity andacross the ports of the bodily cavity will be cooler at the areas whichare spanning the ports carrying the flow of fluid.

2. The use of tissue impedance measurements. A set of transducerspositioned adjacently to tissue that forms the interior surface(s) of abodily cavity and across the ports of the bodily cavity can beresponsive to electrical tissue impedance. Typically, heart tissue willhave higher associated tissue impedance values than the impedance valuesassociated with blood.

3. The use of the differing change in dielectric constant as a functionof frequency between blood and tissue. A set of transducers positionedaround the tissue that forms the interior surface(s) of the atrium andacross the ports of the atrium monitors the ratio of the dielectricconstant from 1 KHz to 100 KHz. Such can be used to determine which ofthose transducers are not proximate to tissue, which is indicative ofthe locations of the ports.

4. The use of transducers that sense force (e.g., force sensors). A setof force detection transducers positioned around the tissue that formsthe interior surface of the bodily cavity and across the bodily openingsor ports of the bodily cavity can be used to determine which of thetransducers are not engaged with the tissue, which is indicative of thelocations of the ports.

The graphical interface of FIG. 5C includes various regions 525 c (e.g.,part of a plurality of regions collectively referred to as regions 525when considering all of the FIG. 5) added to the graphicalrepresentation 500 of the transducer-based device. The regions 525 couldbe identified and displayed according to the instructions of block 706in FIG. 7A in some embodiments. Although, such regions 525 could beidentified and displayed at other times or according to otherinstructions. In some embodiments, the graphical interface depicted inFIG. 5C is generated after the transducer-based device was received in abodily cavity having various anatomical features of interest and thecontrol button 526 identified as “Map” was activated via theinput-output device system to select a mode referred to as “Flow”.Techniques for flow-based mapping techniques are disclosed in commonlyassigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: US 2008/0004534. Invarious embodiments associated with various ones of FIG. 5, theanatomical features of interest are ports of a mitral valve and variouspulmonary veins positioned in fluid communication with an intra-cardiaccavity (e.g., a left atrium in this embodiment). In these variousembodiments, the transducers of the transducer-based device aredistributed adjacent respective regions in the intra-cardiac cavity thatcan include relatively lower blood flow regions (e.g., adjacent a tissuesurface of the intra-cardiac cavity), relatively higher flow regions(e.g., over the ports of the intra-cardiac cavity). It is noted thatrelatively lower blood flow regions in the intra-cardiac cavity mayoccur when a transducer is positioned in contact with a tissue surfaceto restrict blood flow at the contacted tissue. In some exampleembodiments, the relatively large number of transducers in thedistribution advantageously allows for each of the transducers to bepositioned adjacent their corresponding regions with little or norepositioning of the transducer-based device thereby facilitatingobtaining transducer-based data concurrently from a multitude oflocations in the bodily cavity. In this example embodiment, activationvia the input-output device system of the control button 526 identifiedas “Map” can allow for other types of maps, including but not limitedto, tissue contact maps, isochronal maps, isopotential maps, propagationmaps, and various other voltage maps associated with intra-cardiacelectrical activity.

Returning to the specific case of block 706 in FIG. 7A, one or more ofthe above-discussed mapping procedures may be implemented according toinstructions of block 706 to identify various regions 525 in thegraphical representation that correspond to at least a portion of one ormore anatomical features based at least on an analysis of the transducerdata received according to block 704.

In some of these embodiments, the one or more anatomical features arethe ports of various bodily openings (e.g., pulmonary veins, leftlateral appendage, mitral valve) positioned in fluid communication withthe intra-cardiac cavity and the transducer data includes datacontaining various blood flow data within the bodily cavity. In thisembodiment, the instructions in block 706 include instructions that areconfigured to cause the input-output device system to display theidentified regions 525 of the graphical representation 500. In thisexample embodiment, the various ones of the identified regions 525 areshown in the three-dimensional graphical representation 500 provided bythe graphical interface of FIG. 5C and the two-dimensional graphicalrepresentation 500 provided by the graphical interface of FIG. 5D.

In FIG. 5D, the relatively large region 525 a is associated with themitral valve, region 525 b is associated with the left lateralappendage, regions 525 c are associated with the left pulmonary veingroup and regions 525 d are associated with the right pulmonary veingroup. Each of the regions 525 is depicted in the graphicalrepresentation 500 with a graduated pattern provided by the flowidentifier 527 in the graphical interface of FIG. 5D. A graduatedpattern can be employed to indicate various regions in the graphicalrepresentation corresponding to different regions of flow in theintra-cardiac cavity. The identified regions 525 may be identified byany suitable methods including the use of gray-scale patterns, differentcolors, different opacities, different intensities and different shapes.It is understood that other embodiments may employ other techniques toidentify regions in the graphical representation corresponding to adesired anatomical feature. For example, transducer-based datacontaining blood and tissue impedance information may be employed todetermine regions 525. As previously discussed in this detaileddescription, a selection box 522 may be optionally enabled to allow forthe selective inclusion in the graphical representation of graphicalelements associated with various anatomical features associated withregions 525.

Identification of the regions 525 may be motivated for various reasons.For example, in embodiments in which transducers of transducer-baseddevice are activated to treat or diagnose various regions in a bodilycavity, the identification of various regions 525 and their spatialrelationship relative to one another may impact the efficacy of thetreatment or diagnostic procedure. For example, in situations in whichat least some of the transducers of a transducer-based device areemployed to ablate various regions within an intra-cardiac cavity (e.g.,to treat atrial fibrillation), ablation of a pulmonary vein may resultin an undesired condition referred to as pulmonary stenosis.Identification of regions 525 c, 525 d in the graphical representationmay be employed to reduce occurrences of this undesired condition.

In some embodiments, contrary to what is shown in FIG. 7A, block 706immediately precedes block 710, with block 707, block 708, or bothomitted. However, in some embodiments, block 707 is between blocks 706and 710 as shown in FIG. 7A. In addition, in some embodiments, block 707need not occur between blocks 706 and 710 as shown in FIG. 7A, and can,for example, instead occur immediately after block 704, with block 710immediately following and block 706 omitted. Similarly, in someembodiments, block 708 is between blocks 706 and 710 as shown in FIG.7A. However, in some embodiments, block 708 need not occur betweenblocks 706 and 710 as shown in FIG. 7A, and can, for example, insteadoccur immediately after block 704, with block 710 immediately followingand block 706 omitted.

In any event, regarding block 707 and block 710, concurrent selection ofa set of two or more of the transducers in the transducer-based device(e.g., a pair of adjacent transducers 306) is provided in someembodiments for enhanced workflows that are less cumbersome and moreexpeditious than those associated with non-concurrent selection of eachtransducer of the set of two or more of the transducers. For example, insome embodiments, a user-based selection of a between graphical element(e.g., between graphical elements 504 or 604) allows for a machine-basedconcurrent selection of an associated set of two or more transducers invarious embodiments.

In this regard, block 707 includes, in some embodiments, identificationinstructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program) configured tocause identification of which of the respective transducers of each ofvarious sets of two or more of the transducers of a transducer-baseddevice are and which are not acceptable for concurrent selection.

Concurrent selection or non-concurrent selection of the respectivetransducers of a given one of the sets of two or more of the transducersmay be motivated for various reasons. For example, concurrent selectionof transducers may lead to a more expeditious workflow thatadvantageously reduces diagnostic or treatment times. Conditions,however, may not allow for the concurrent selection of the respectivetransducers of each of various ones of selectable sets of two or moretransducers.

For example, if a transducer of a transducer pair is deemednot-activation-ready (e.g., according to the instructions of block 708or block 804, discussed below), the transducer pair can be deemed,according to the instructions of block 707, to be a transducer set thatis not acceptable for concurrent selection. A set of two or moretransducers (e.g., a pair of transducers) that is identified (e.g., viainstructions of block 708 or block 804, discussed below) as including atleast one not-activation-ready transducer of the transducer-based device(e.g., a not-ablation-ready transducer) may, in some embodiments, bedeemed, according to the identification instructions of block 707, as aset of two or more of the transducers of a transducer-based device whoserespective transducers are not acceptable for concurrent selection. Insome embodiments, a set of two or more of the transducers that isidentified (e.g., via instructions of block 708 or block 804, discussedbelow) as not including any not-activation-ready transducer of thetransducer-based device (e.g., a not-ablation-ready transducer) may bedeemed, according to the identification instructions of block 707, as aset of two or more of the transducers whose respective transducers areacceptable for concurrent selection.

The identification instructions of block 707 need not be limited tocausing identification of a set of two or more transducers as acceptableor not acceptable for concurrent selection, and need not be limited todetermining the acceptability of concurrency of selection based upon adetermination of activation-ready transducers (e.g., via instructions ofblock 708 or block 804, discussed below). In some embodiments, theidentification instructions of block 707 include instructions configuredto cause, at least in part, the identification of the respectivetransducers of each of the sets of two or more transducers which areacceptable for concurrent selection based at least on an analysis oftransducer data received in accordance with the instructions of block704. In other words, acceptability of the concurrency of selection canbe determined on a transducer-group basis or on an individual-transducerbasis. These differing approaches can lend themselves to differentcircumstances. For example, in some situations, it may be preferable todetermine whether an entire group of transducers is acceptable forconcurrent selection, while in other situations, it may be beneficial toknow whether individual transducers in each group are acceptable forconcurrent selection.

In some embodiments, each of the sets of two or more of the transducersof the transducer-based device including a pair of adjacent transducersthat are spaced with respect to one another across a correspondingregion of space, each region of space not including any transducer. Insome of these embodiments, a determination of whether or not one ofthese regions of space is acceptable for activation by its correspondingrespective transducer pair is used as a basis for determining whether ornot the respective transducer pair is acceptable for concurrentselection. For example, if the region of space is deemed to beacceptable for activation by the corresponding respective transducerpair, then the respective transducer pair is identified as beingacceptable for concurrent selection in some embodiments. In someembodiments, the regions of space are determined to be acceptable foractivation of the corresponding respective transducers according todetermination instructions (e.g., according to some embodiments of theinstructions of block 708 in FIG. 7A or block 804 in FIG. 8, discussedbelow). In this regard, the identification instructions of block 707 maybe further configured to cause, at least in part, the identification ofthe respective transducers of each of the pairs of adjacent ones of thetransducers which are acceptable for concurrent selection as therespective transducers of each of the plurality of pairs of adjacenttransducers whose corresponding regions of space have been determined,according to determination instructions (not shown, but similar to theinstructions of block 708 or block 804, discussed below) to beacceptable for activation of the corresponding respective transducers,and cause, at least in part, the identification of the respectivetransducers of each of the pairs of adjacent ones of the transducerswhich are not acceptable for concurrent selection as the respectivetransducers of each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent transducerswhose corresponding regions of space have been determined, according tothe determination instructions (not shown, similar to the instructionsof block 708 or block 804, discussed below) to be not acceptable foractivation of the corresponding respective transducers.

Acceptability of concurrency of selection of transducers or a region ofspace corresponding to transducers need not based on or solely on adetermination of the acceptability of activation of the correspondingtransducers (e.g., pursuant to instructions according to block 708 orblock 804, discussed below) in some embodiments. In this regard,transducers or regions of space each corresponding to transducers can bedeemed to be acceptable or not acceptable for concurrent selection,according to various embodiments of the instructions of block 707, basedon any reason which might make it beneficial or not beneficial toconcurrently select the corresponding transducers.

In some embodiments, a result of one or more of the identificationsaccording to the instructions of block 707 is the distinguishing display(e.g., by different visual characteristics) of graphical elementsassociated with transducers identified to be acceptable for concurrentselection as compared to graphical elements associated with transducersidentified to be not-acceptable for concurrent selection. In thisregard, the instructions according to block 707 include, in someembodiments, instructions configured to cause the graphicalrepresentation displayed according to the instructions of block 702 tovisually distinguish its graphical elements associated with transducersidentified to be acceptable for concurrent selection as compared tographical elements associated with transducers identified to benot-acceptable for concurrent selection. In this regard, anyinstructions according to block 707 that affect the appearance of thegraphical representation can be considered to be part of block 702 insome embodiments. The same applies to block 708 (with respect to block702) in FIG. 7A, block 804 (with respect to block 802) in FIG. 8, block812 (with respect to block 802) in FIG. 8, block 910 (with respect toblock 902) in FIG. 9, block 912 (with respect to block 902) in FIG. 9,discussed below, and any other similar discussions herein, wheredistinguishing visual characteristics of graphical elements in agraphical representation facilitate differences in information orstatus.

To elaborate with respect to block 702 for example purposes only,various graphical element sets may be displayed by the displayinstructions of block 702, each graphical element set including one ormore graphical elements (e.g., graphical elements 501 or 601) and eachgraphical element set associated with a respective one of a number ofsets of two or more of the transducers (e.g., transducers oftransducer-based devices 200, 300 or 400). Method 700 may includeinstructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program), (not shown)configured to cause graphical representation instructions of block 702to cause the input-output device system (e.g., input-output devicesystem 120 or 320) to display each of the graphical element setsassociated with each of the sets of two or more of the transducers whoserespective transducers have been identified (e.g., according toidentification instructions associated with block 707) to be acceptablefor concurrent selection with a respective set of visual characteristicsthat distinguishes each of the graphical element sets associated witheach of the sets of two or more of the transducers whose respectivetransducers have been identified to be acceptable for concurrentselection from each of the graphical element sets associated with eachof the sets of two or more of the transducers whose respectivetransducers have been identified to be not acceptable for concurrentselection. Differences in the displayed visual characteristics mayinclude different colors, opacities, hues, intensities, shading,patterns, shapes or the addition or removal of any displayed informationsuitable for distinguishing a concurrently-selectable transducer setfrom a not-concurrently-selectable transducer set.

For example, in some embodiments associated with FIGS. 5C and 5D, onlythe between graphical elements 504 that are each associated with acorresponding set of transducers (e.g., a corresponding pair oftransducers in this embodiment) whose respective transducers are deemedacceptable for concurrent selection are displayed, and between graphicalelements 504 that are associated with a corresponding pair oftransducers that include at least one transducer that is deemed notacceptable for concurrent selection is not displayed. The presence orabsence of a particular graphical element (e.g., a between graphicalelement 504) may form at least part of differences associated withdisplayed visually characteristics referenced in block 707.

In various embodiments of FIGS. 5C and 5D, the absent between graphicalelements 504 indicate that their respective pairs of transducers eachhave been identified (e.g., according to the instructions of block 708,discussed below) to be over a region of space that is deemedunacceptable for activation (e.g., ablation) because such regions ofspace include a portion of a port of a bodily opening, which, in someembodiments, is not acceptable for ablation. These identifications leadto a conclusion, in some embodiments, (e.g., according to theinstructions of block 707), that these respective pairs of transducersare not acceptable for concurrent selection in some embodiments. In someof these embodiments, such as those illustrated by FIGS. 5C and 5D, thegraphical elements associated with these respective transducer pairsidentified not to be acceptable for concurrent selection, are notdisplayed so that they are visually distinguished from the betweengraphical elements 504, which are displayed and which are associatedwith respective transducer pairs that have been identified to beacceptable for concurrent selection according to the instructions ofblock 707.

One reason for identifying a transducer set as being not-acceptable forconcurrent selection according to the instructions of block 707 is thatthe transducer set, when activated, could be harmful to an affectedregion of space. However, other factors may also have a bearing onwhether the respective transducers of a particular set of two more ofthe transducers are deemed concurrently selectable. In addition,combinations of different factors may be considered in the determinationof whether the respective transducers of a particular set of two or moreof the transducers are, or are not, acceptable for concurrent selection.

By way of a non-limiting example, another reason for determining atransducer set to be not-acceptable for concurrent selection, accordingto some embodiments of the instructions of block 707, is thattransducers in the transducer set are too far apart, such that, forexample, activation of the transducers in the set would lead to a resultthat may be considered ineffective. For example, if a transducer pair istoo far apart, ablation performed by the pair might not be able toreliably form an electrophysiological conduction block between them.

The embodiments of FIG. 5J illustrate examples of transducer pairs beingtoo far apart and, therefore, being deemed to be unacceptable forconcurrent selection according to some embodiments of the instructionsof block 707. In this regard, FIG. 5J illustrates a graphical interfaceincluding a graphical representation 500 provided by an input-outputdevice system (e.g., input-output device system 120 or 320) according tosome embodiments. Graphical representation 500 in FIG. 5J is similar tothe graphical representation 500 in FIG. 5A and includes a plurality ofgraphical elements including various transducer graphical elements andbetween graphical elements. For convenience of discussion, the pluralityof graphical elements of graphical representation 500 are identified asgraphical elements 501, the plurality of transducer graphical elementsof graphical representation 500 are identified as transducer graphicalelements 502, and the between graphical elements of graphicalrepresentation 500 are identified as between graphical elements 504. Thegraphical elements 501 in graphical representation 500 in FIG. 5J arearranged in a plurality of rows 510 (e.g., latitudinal rows) and aplurality of columns 512 (e.g., longitudinal columns) in a mannersimilar to that shown by graphical representation 500 in FIG. 5A. Thetransducer graphical elements 502 and between graphical elements 504 ingraphical representation 500 in FIG. 5J have similar associations with aspatial distribution of transducers (e.g., transducers 306 in FIG. 3A,3B) as their counterparts in graphical representation 500 in FIG. 5A.

In this illustrated embodiment, graphical representation 500 in FIG. 5Jis distinguished from graphical representation 500 in FIG. 5A in variousways including an absence of a between graphical element 504 between therespective transducer graphical elements 502 of various adjacent pairsof the transducers graphical elements 502. For example, a betweengraphical element 504 is not displayed between adjacent transducergraphical elements 502 d and 502 e. In this illustrated embodiment, anabsence of between graphical elements 504 occurs in some of the rows510. In this illustrated embedment, the presence or absence of aparticular between graphical element 504 in the graphical representation500 in FIG. 5J is indicative, at least in part, of differences in thevisual characteristics of particular graphical elements 501 associatedwith sets of two or more transducers whose respective transducers havebeen identified by the instructions of block 707 to be acceptable forconcurrent selection and particular graphical elements 501 associatedwith sets of two or more transducers whose respective transducers havebeen identified by the instructions of block 707 to be not acceptablefor concurrent selection. In various example embodiments, betweengraphical elements 504 are displayed between corresponding pairs oftransducer graphical elements 502 associated with transducers that havebeen identified by the instructions of block 707 to be acceptable forconcurrent selection, while between graphical elements 504 are notdisplayed between corresponding pairs of transducer graphical elements502 associated with transducers that have been identified by theinstructions of block 707 to be not acceptable for concurrent selection.

In some example embodiments, the instructions 707 are further configuredto cause, at least in part, the identification of the respectivetransducers of each of the pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers ina distribution which are acceptable for concurrent selection as therespective transducers of each of the plurality of pairs of adjacentones of the transducers in the distribution having a respectivetransducer-to-transducer distance that is not greater than a targettransducer-to-transducer distance, and cause identification, at least inpart, of the respective transducers of each of the pairs of adjacentones of the transducers in the distribution which are not acceptable forconcurrent selection as the respective transducers of each of theplurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in thedistribution having a transducer-to-transducer distance that is greaterthan the target transducer-to-transducer distance. In embodimentsinvolving relatively low temperature ablations, the targettransducer-to-transducer distance might be one-half an electrode width.In embodiments involving relatively higher temperature ablations, largertarget transducer-to-transducer distances might be sufficient. Invarious embodiments, ablation temperatures lower than the thermalcoagulation temperature of blood are preferred. Other factors that mayimpact the target transducer-to-transducer distance might include tissuethickness, tissue type, characteristics of fat layers embedded in thetissue, the blood's susceptibility to forming coagulum, and whether ornot a pair of transducers performing the ablation are separated by aphysical portion of the transducer-based device, such as by an elongatemember 304. In some embodiments, a target transducer-to-transducerdistance associated with a particular pair of the transducers isdetermined or selected to increase a likelihood that aelectrophysiological conduction block that blocks electrophysiologicalactivity between the particular pair of transducers will be formed intissue upon activation of the transducers. In some embodiments,concurrent selection of a pair of transducers whose activation would notlikely result in a desired electrophysiological conduction block may bedeemed unacceptable according to the instructions of block 707.

It is noted that different target transducer-to-transducer distances maybe employed for different pairs of the transducers. For example, a firsttarget transducer-to-transducer distance associated with a pair oftransducers spaced with respect to one another over a region of spacethat includes a physical portion of a structure on which the transducersare located (e.g., structure 308) may be different (e.g., greater) thana second target transducer-to-transducer distance associated with a pairof transducer that are spaced with respect to one another across aregion of space that does not include a physical portion of a supportingstructure (e.g., structure 308). In the embodiments of FIG. 5J, betweengraphical elements 504 are not displayed between transducers graphicalelements 502 arranged in particular ones of the rows 510 having thegreatest depicted spacing between adjacent transducer graphical elements502.

In some particular embodiments, between graphical elements 504 are notdisplayed between transducer graphical elements 502 arranged in rows 510a and 510 b, because the transducer-to-transducer distances of thetransducers (e.g., transducers 306) corresponding to these transducergraphical elements 502 in these rows each exceeds a target distance(e.g., in use). Therefore, in some embodiments, it is determined (e.g.,according to the instructions of block 707) that the transducerscorresponding to the transducer graphical elements 502 along rows 510 aand 510 b are not acceptable for concurrent selection, which results inthe non-display of the corresponding between graphical elements 504.However, between graphical elements 504 are displayed between transducergraphical elements 502 arranged in the other rows (including row 510 c),because the transducer-to-transducer distances of the transducerscorresponding to these transducer graphical elements 502 in these rowseach are within a target distance. Therefore, in some embodiments, it isdetermined (e.g., according to the instructions of block 707) that thetransducers corresponding to the transducer graphical elements 502 alongthe other rows (besides rows 510 a and 510 b) are acceptable forconcurrent selection, which results in the display of the correspondingbetween graphical elements 504.

It should be noted that although the embodiments of FIG. 5J illustratethe unacceptability of concurrency of selection of various transducerpairs latitudinally arranged on a supporting structure due to excessivetransducer-to-transducer distance, acceptability of concurrency ofselection of transducer pairs or larger groups can be determined on anindividual transducer-group basis and based on other factors or otherfactors in conjunction with transducer-to-transducer distance. Forexample, a transducer-based device (e.g., similar to transducer-baseddevice 300) represented by a graphical representation in FIG. 5J maycontort when placed in a bodily cavity, and therefore,transducer-to-transducer distances may vary between transducer pairs insome directions (e.g., across regions of space that do not include aphysical portion of the supporting structure). Therefore, in someembodiments, the transducer-to-transducer distances are calculated inreal time for each possible transducer pair via transducer data receivedaccording to the instructions of block 704, and based at least upon thistransducer data, each possible transducer pair is identified as beingacceptable or not acceptable for concurrent selection according to theinstructions of block 707, and the corresponding between graphicalelements are consequently displayed or not displayed in the graphicalrepresentation. In some embodiments, a particular transducer pair isidentified as being acceptable or not acceptable for concurrentselection according to the instructions of block 707 on the basis ofother factors in addition to the transducer-to-transducer distanceassociated with the particular transducer pair (e.g., location of thetransducer pair to a particular anatomical feature).

Further, in some embodiments, acceptability of concurrency of selectionneed not be performed on a transducer-pair-basis. For example, in someof these embodiments, a group of three or more transducers that couldform one possible ablation path could be evaluated as a group todetermine whether all transducers within that group are acceptable forconcurrent selection, e.g., to determine whether a possible ablationpath is acceptable of activation (e.g., ablation). In this regard, insome embodiments, the instructions of block 707 are configured to causeidentification, for each of a plurality of transducer sets of three ormore transducers (e.g., each representing a possible ablation path),whether or not all transducers within the corresponding transducer setare acceptable for concurrent selection.

Having discussed the identification of transducer sets that areacceptable and transducer sets that are not acceptable for concurrentselection according to the instructions of block 707, a discussion ofsome embodiments of graphical element selection and activation accordingto the instructions of blocks 710 and 712 in FIG. 7A will now bediscussed with respect to FIG. 7B.

FIG. 7B includes an exploded view of the selection instructions of block710 and the activation instructions of block 712 according to someexample embodiments. In some embodiments, all of the blocks shown inFIG. 7B may not be required. Block 710A includes first selectioninstructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program) configured tocause selection (e.g., a first selection) of at least one graphicalelement in a first graphical element set of a plurality of graphicalelement sets. In some embodiments, the first graphical element set isassociated with a first one of the sets of two or more of thetransducers whose respective transducers have been identified accordingto the instructions of block 707 to be acceptable for concurrentselection, and the first selection instructions are configured to causeconcurrent selection, in response to the selection of the at least onegraphical element in the first graphical element set, of the respectivetransducers of the first one of the sets of two or more of thetransducers. However, identification of the respective transducers asacceptable for concurrent selection, and concurrent selection of therespective transducers may not be required in some embodiments.

For example, a user might directly select a between graphical elementsuch as a between graphical element 504 or 604 (i.e., the betweengraphical element is a user-selected between graphical element), whichmight cause the first selection instructions to cause the dataprocessing device system to (a) perform a machine-selection of theuser-selected between graphical element (e.g., by changing its visualcharacteristics), and (b) perform a machine-selection (or in someembodiments, a concurrent selection) of the transducers in a transducerpair corresponding to the user-selected between graphical element. Insome embodiments, the transducer pair is identified to be acceptable forconcurrent selection. In some embodiments, the machine-based selectionof the transducer pair may lead to an activation (or in someembodiments, a concurrent activation) of the transducers of that pair(e.g., block 712A, discussed below). In some embodiments, including, butnot limited to embodiments where the user directly selects a betweengraphical element (i.e., the between graphical element isuser-selected), the machine-selection(s) may or may not include amachine-selection of a transducer graphical element. In someembodiments, the first selection does not include a user-selectedtransducer graphical element. In some embodiments, including, but notlimited to embodiments where the user directly selects a betweengraphical element, the selection of the at least one graphical elementin the first graphical element set according to the instructions ofblock 710A is a selection, at one time, of each of the at least onegraphical element in the first graphical element set. For example, theuser directly selects, at one time, a between graphical element via amouse click with the cursor above the between graphical element, whichcauses a corresponding machine selection, at one time, of theuser-selected between graphical element, e.g., by changing a visualcharacteristic of the user-selected between graphical element. Althoughthe above-discussion regarding block 710A includes examples involvingboth a user graphical element selection and a machine graphical elementselection, some embodiments involve only a machine graphical elementselection at block 710A.

Block 710B includes second selection instructions configured to causeselection (e.g., a second selection as opposed to the first selectiondiscussed above with respect to block 710A) of at least one graphicalelement in a second graphical element set of the graphical element sets.In some embodiments, the second graphical element set is associated witha second one of the sets of two or more of the transducers whoserespective transducers have been identified according to theinstructions of block 707 to be not acceptable for concurrent selection,and the second selection instructions are configured to causenon-concurrent selection, in response to the selection of the at leastone graphical element in the second graphical element set, of therespective transducers of the second one of the sets of two or more ofthe transducers. However, identification of the respective transducersas not acceptable for concurrent selection, and non-concurrent selectionof the respective transducers are not required in some embodiments. Insome embodiments, the selection of the at least one graphical element inthe second graphical element set is a selection, over a time interval,of at least two of the graphical elements in the second graphicalelement set.

For example, a user might directly select a first transducer graphicalelement such as a first transducer graphical element 502 or 604 (i.e.,the first transducer graphical element is a user-selected transducergraphical element), which might cause the second selection instructionsto cause the data processing device system to (a1) perform a selection(or machine selection) of the user-selected first transducer graphicalelement (e.g., by changing its visual characteristics), and (b1) selectthe transducer corresponding to the user-selected first transducergraphical element. Then, the user might directly select a secondtransducer graphical element such as a second transducer graphicalelement 502 or 604 (i.e., the second transducer graphical element is auser-selected transducer graphical element), which might cause thesecond selection instructions to cause the data processing device systemto (a2) perform a selection (or machine selection) of the user-selectedsecond transducer graphical element (e.g., by changing its visualcharacteristics), and (b2) select the transducer corresponding to theuser-selected second transducer graphical element. Accordingly, in someembodiments, the user-selections of the first and second transducergraphical elements over a time interval cause the correspondingmachine-selections of the first and second transducer graphical elementsover a time interval. In some embodiments, these machine selections (b1)and (b2) of the transducers corresponding to the user-selected first andsecond transducer graphical elements are non-concurrent selections. Insome embodiments, the machine-based selections (b1) and (b2) of thetransducers corresponding to the user-selected first and secondtransducer graphical elements may lead to an activation (or in someembodiments, a non-concurrent activation) of such transducers (e.g.,block 712, discussed below).

In some embodiments, the second graphical element set selected accordingto the instructions of block 710B has a different number of graphicalelements than the first graphical element set selected according to theinstructions of block 710A. For example, the second graphical elementset selected according to the instructions of block 710B could includetwo transducer graphical elements 502, while the first graphical elementset selected according to the instructions of block 710A could include,in some embodiments, only a between graphical element 504 or, in otherembodiments, two transducer graphical elements 502 and a betweengraphical element 504.

Block 712A shown in FIG. 7B includes activation instructions (e.g.,instructions provided in a program) configured to cause activation ofthe transducers corresponding to the first graphical element setselected according to the instructions of block 710A. Block 712B shownin FIG. 7B includes activation instructions (e.g., instructions providedin a program) configured to cause activation of the transducerscorresponding to the second graphical element set selected according tothe instructions of block 710B.

In some embodiments, the activation instructions of block 712A includeactivation instructions configured to, in response to the concurrentselection of the respective transducers of the first one of the sets oftwo or more of the transducers cause concurrent activation, via theinput-output device system (e.g., input-output device system 120 or320), of each of the respective transducers of the first one of the setsof two or more of the transducers. In some embodiments, the concurrentactivation may include monopolar activation of each of the respectivetransducers of the first one of the sets of two or more of thetransducers. In some embodiments, the concurrent activation may includebipolar activation between the respective transducers of the first oneof the sets of two or more of the transducers. The monopolar or bipolaractivation of the respective transducers of the first one of the sets oftwo or more of the transducers may include sufficient energy beingdelivered from an energy source device system (e.g., energy sourcedevice system 340) to each of the respective transducers of the firstone of the sets of two or more of the transducers, the energy sufficientto cause ablation of tissue in a bodily cavity. In some of theseembodiments, conditions allow for the energy to be sufficient to causean electrophysiological activity conduction block to be formed in thetissue between the respective transducers of the first one of the setsof two or more of the transducers.

In some embodiments, the activation instructions of block 712B includesecond activation instructions configured to, in response to thenon-concurrent selection of the respective transducers of the second oneof the sets of two or more of the transducers cause non-concurrentactivation, via the input-output device system, of each of therespective transducers of the second one of the sets of two or more ofthe transducers. In some embodiments, the activation instructions ofblock 712B include second activation instructions configured to, inresponse to the non-concurrent selection of the respective transducersof the second one of the sets of two or more of the transducers,preclude bipolar activation, via the input-output device system, betweenthe respective transducers of the second one of the sets of two or moreof the transducers. In various embodiments, selection instructions(e.g., the selection instructions of block 808) allow for the concurrentselection of a pair of transducers by the selection of a particularbetween graphical element 504 made in accordance with various aspects ofmethod 700.

In some embodiments associated with FIG. 7B, a first selection of atleast one of the graphical elements 501 (e.g., between graphical element504 a shown in FIG. 5F, for example) from a first graphical element setis caused according to first selection instructions (e.g., instructionsof block 710A) to select a first pair of transducers made up of a firsttransducer and a second transducer (e.g., transducers 306). FIG. 5J isconsidered to include a group of transducer graphical elements 502, andin some of these embodiments, the first selection may not include a userselection of any user-selected transducer graphical elements 502 in thegroup (e.g., the first selection could be for the between graphicalelement 504 a in cases where the first selection is only for transducerpairs deemed to be concurrently selectable according to the instructionsof block 707).

In some embodiments, a second selection of at least one of the graphicalelements 501 in FIG. 5F is caused according to second selectioninstructions (e.g., instructions of block 710B) to select a second pairof the transducers made up of the first transducer and a thirdtransducer. For example, in some embodiments, the second selection maynot include a user selection of any user-selected transducer graphicalelements 502 (e.g., the second selection could be for the betweengraphical element 504 d in cases where the second selection is only fortransducer pairs deemed to be concurrently selectable according to theinstructions of block 707). In some embodiments, the second selectionmay not include a user selection of any user-selected between graphicalelements 504 (e.g., the second selection could be for at least aselected transducer graphical element (e.g., transducer graphicalelement 502 f shown in FIGS. 5F) in cases where the second selection isonly for transducer pairs deemed to be not-concurrently selectableaccording to the instructions of block 707). In various embodiments,each of the first, the second, and the third transducers are differenttransducers which respectively correspond to transducer graphicalelements 502 a, 502 b and 502 f. In various embodiments, each of thefirst pair of transducers and the second pair of transducers (eachselected by respective ones of the first selection according to theinstructions of block 710A and the second selection according to theinstructions of block 710B, for example) is an adjacent pair oftransducers in a distribution of transducers. In some embodiments, thesecond selection includes a selection of at least two transducergraphical elements in the group (e.g., transducer graphical elements 502f and 502 a).

As stated above, a first spatial relationship between the plurality oftransducer graphical elements 502 in the graphical representation ofFIG. 5F, for example, may be consistent with a second spatialrelationship between corresponding ones of the transducers in thedistribution. In some embodiments, each of between graphical elements504 a and 504 d is associated with a respective region of space thatdoes not include a physical portion of a structure on which thetransducers are located (e.g., structure 308). In other embodiments, atleast one of the first pair and the second pair of transducers maycorrespond to a between graphical element 504 that is associated with aregion of space that includes a physical portion of the structure. Suchdistinctions can be important, as discussed herein, in determining theacceptability of concurrency of selection of graphical elements andtransducers, the acceptability of activation of transducers, theduration of activation, and for other reasons discussed herein.

As discussed above, the selections according to the instructions ofblocks 710A and 710B can occur by way of any combination of one or moremachine-based constituent selections and, optionally or additionally,user-based constituent selections. In some embodiments, each of thefirst selection (e.g., according to the instructions of block 710A) andthe second selection (e.g., according to the instructions of block 710B)includes a user-selected graphical element 501 selected by a useraccording to a user instruction (e.g., a user-based constituentselection, as discussed above) to select the user-selected graphicalelement 501. In some embodiments, the first selection, the secondselection, or each of the first selection and the second selection doesnot include a selection of a user-selected transducer graphical element502 made in response to a user instruction to select the transducergraphical element. For instance, a user may instruct selection of abetween graphical element 504, which can cause a machine-based selectionof a pair of transducer graphical elements 502 that correspond to theuser-selected between graphical element 504, and, optionally, amachine-based selection of a pair of transducers that correspond to thepair of transducer graphical elements 502. In some embodiments, thesecond selection does not include a selection of a user-selectedtransducer graphical element 502 made in response to a user instructionto select the transducer graphical element.

While in some embodiments, both the first selection (e.g., according tothe instructions of block 710A) and the second selection (e.g.,according to the instructions of block 710B) do not include a selectionof a user-selected transducer graphical element made 502 in response toa user selection to select the user-selected transducer graphicalelement 502, in other embodiments, the second selection may include aselection of at least one user-selected between graphical element 504(e.g., 504 d) (e.g., made in response to a user-instruction to selectthe at least one user-selected between graphical element).

Block 710C shown in FIG. 7B includes third selection instructionsemployed in some embodiments, the third selection instructionsconfigured to, in response to receiving a user instruction to select atleast one user-selected graphical element, cause the data processingdevice system (e.g., data processing device system 110 or 310) to aselect at least one other graphical element. In one particularembodiment, the third selection instructions are configured to cause thedata processing device system to select at least a second graphicalelement (e.g., transducer graphical elements 502 a and 502 b) inresponse to a user instruction to select between graphical element 504a. In this particular embodiment, the third selection instructions areconfigured to select at least a third graphical element (e.g.,transducer graphical elements 502 a and 5020 in response to a userinstruction to select the user-selected between graphical element 504 d.Visual characteristics of user-selected graphical elements and graphicalelements selected by the data processing device system in response toreceiving a user instruction to select at least one user-selectedgraphical element may be changed as discussed above. In someembodiments, the first activation instructions of block 712A, the secondactivation instructions of block 712B or each of the first and thesecond activation instructions include instructions configured to causeactivation of a corresponding one of the sets of two or more of thetransducers in response to the selection of at least one graphicalelement made by the data processing device system in response to atleast receiving a user instruction to select at least one user-selectedgraphical element.

Having discussed identifying the acceptability of concurrency ofselection of transducer sets with respect to block 707 and correspondingsubsequent selection of transducer graphical elements and activation ofcorresponding transducers pursuant to FIG. 7B, block 708 in FIG. 7A willnow be described. Block 708 can include, in some embodiments,instructions provided by a program to cause the data processing devicesystem to identify activation-ready transducers and not-activation-readytransducers based at least upon an analysis of transducer data (e.g.,received according to the instructions of block 704). For example, insome embodiments, if the analysis of the transducer data indicates thatcertain transducers are located above an anatomical feature that shouldnot be ablated, those certain transducers are identified according tothe instructions of block 708 to be not-activation-ready transducers.Another example of not-activation-ready transducers includes those thathave insufficient contact with tissue to properly ablate or acquiretissue characteristics, as determined, for example, according tomeasurements (e.g., various electrical, force, or pressure measurements)represented in the transducer data. The instructions according to block708 include, in some embodiments, instructions configured to cause thegraphical representation displayed according to the instructions ofblock 702 to visually distinguish the not-activation-ready transducersfrom the activation-ready transducers.

In this regard, block 708 includes, in some embodiments, instructions(e.g., identification instructions) provided by a program configured tocause the data processing device system to identify activation-readytransducers of the transducer-based device as transducers deemed, basedat least on an analysis of the transducer data (e.g., received accordingto the instructions of block 704), acceptable for activation (e.g.,activation according to the instructions of block 712), andnot-activation-ready transducers of the transducer-based device astransducers deemed, based at least on the analysis of the transducerdata, not acceptable for activation (e.g., activation according to theinstructions of block 712).

As discussed above, the identification of activation-ready transducersand not-activation-ready transducers of a transducer-based device inaccordance with the instructions of block 708 can take different forms.In this regard, block 804 in FIG. 8 provides an example of theinstructions of block 708 in FIG. 7A, according to some embodiments. Itshould be noted that block 802 corresponds to block 702 in someembodiments, blocks 806 and 808 correspond to block 710 in someembodiments, and block 810 corresponds to block 712 in some embodiments.However, in some embodiments, FIG. 8 stands on its own independently ofFIG. 7A. In this regard, the method 800 pertains to ablation-causingactivations, although it is understood that other forms of activationmay be employed in other embodiments. Reference to at least some of FIG.5 continues with the discussion of FIG. 8 for convenience of discussion.In some embodiments, method 800, like method 700, may include a subsetof the associated blocks or additional blocks than those shown. Inaddition, in some embodiments, method 800, like method 700, may includea different sequence between various ones of the associated blocks thanthose shown in FIG. 8.

The example of block 804, in some embodiments, includes instructions(e.g., identification instructions provided by a program) configured toidentify an activation-ready transducer of the transducer-based device(e.g., transducer-based devices 100, 300, 400) as a transducer that isassociated with or adjacent a region of space deemed, based at least onan analysis of the transducer data, acceptable for ablation. In someembodiments, this “adjacent region of space” is a region of space thatincludes matter that would be activated, ablated, or otherwiseinteracted with by the corresponding transducer due to ablationactivation or other activation of the corresponding transducer. In someembodiments, a region of space is determined, in view of an analysis ofthe transducer data, to be acceptable for ablation or activation of acorresponding transducer set, when the region of space is not determinedto be unacceptable for ablation or activation. In some embodiments, aregion of space is determined, in view of an analysis of the transducerdata, to be not acceptable for ablation or activation of a correspondingtransducer set, when all or particular matter in the region of space maybe negatively or unacceptably negatively impacted by the ablation oractivation of the corresponding transducer set. In some embodiments,block 804 includes instructions (not shown, e.g., identificationinstructions provided by a program) configured to cause identificationof an activation-ready transducer of the transducer-based device (e.g.,transducer-based devices 100, 300, 400) as a transducer that is deemed,based at least on an analysis of the transducer data, to be locatedwithin sufficient proximity to a region of space, the sufficientproximity deemed acceptable for ablation. In some embodiments, thissufficient proximity is deemed to require contact between the transducerand the tissue to be ablated.

In some embodiments, block 804 also includes instructions (e.g.,identification instructions provided by a program) configured toidentify a not-activation-ready transducer of the transducer-baseddevice as a transducer that is adjacent a region of space deemed, basedat least on the analysis of the transducer data, not acceptable forablation. In some embodiments, block 804 includes instructions (notshown, e.g., identification instructions provided by a program)configured to identify a not-activation-ready transducer of thetransducer-based device (e.g., transducer-based devices 100, 300, 400)as a transducer that is deemed, based at least on an analysis of thetransducer data, not within sufficient proximity to a region of space,the sufficient proximity deemed acceptable for ablation.

It is understood that a transducer may be identified as anactivation-ready transducer or not-activation-ready transducer on thebasis of other criteria in other embodiments. In some embodiments,activation-ready transducers are referred to as ablation-readytransducers and not-activation-ready transducers are referred to asnot-ablation-ready transducers. In some embodiments, at least two of theablation-ready transducers or at least two of the not-ablation-readytransducers may be located on a same structural member (e.g., anelongate member 304) of a transducer-based device. In some embodiments,at least two of the ablation-ready transducers or at least two of thenot-ablation-ready transducers may be located on different structuralmembers (e.g., different elongate members 304) of a transducer-baseddevice. These differences can be important as transducers along astructural member may have different ablation characteristics thantransducers located on different structural members that have nophysical portion of the transducer based device between them. Forexample, ablation along structural members may have, for example,different insulating effects on ablation as compared to ablation betweenstructural members.

In some embodiments where the transducer-based device or a portionthereof is receivable or positionable in a bodily cavity, theinstructions of block 804 may include instructions configured to requirethat, in order for a region of space to be deemed acceptable forablation, the region of space be determined, based at least on theanalysis of the transducer data (e.g., received according to theinstructions of block 704, which may be part of block 804 or betweenblocks 802 and 804 in some embodiments), to be associated with a tissuein the bodily cavity that is acceptable for ablation. The instructionsof block 804 may include instructions configured to require that, inorder for a region of space to be deemed not acceptable for ablation,the region of space be determined, based at least on the analysis of thetransducer data, to be associated with a tissue in the bodily cavitythat is not acceptable for ablation. In some embodiments, the bodilycavity is an intra-cardiac cavity and the tissue in the bodily cavitythat is not acceptable for ablation is blood.

In some embodiments where the transducer-based device or a portionthereof is receivable or positionable in a bodily cavity, theinstructions of block 804 may include instructions configured to requirethat, in order for a region of space to be deemed acceptable forablation, the region of space be determined, based at least on theanalysis of the transducer data, to be associated with an anatomicalfeature of the bodily cavity that is acceptable for ablation. Theinstructions of block 804 may include instructions configured to requirethat, in order for a region of space to be deemed not acceptable forablation, the region of space be determined, based at least on theanalysis of the transducer data, to be associated with an anatomicalfeature of the bodily cavity that is not acceptable for ablation (e.g.,a pulmonary vein).

In some embodiments where the transducer-based device or a portionthereof is receivable or positionable in a bodily cavity that includes atissue wall surface interrupted by one or more ports in fluidcommunication with the bodily cavity, the instructions of block 804 mayinclude instructions configured to require that, in order for a regionof space to be deemed not acceptable for ablation, the region of spacebe determined, based at least on the analysis of the transducer data, tooverlie a least part of a port of the one or more ports.

Referring back to FIGS. 5C and 5D, the various regions 525 areassociated with regions of space deemed not suitable or acceptable forablation while various other regions of the graphical representationthat exclude regions 525 are associated with regions of space deemedsuitable for ablation in this illustrated embodiment. In someembodiments, like the above-discussion with respect to blocks 708 and702, regions of space deemed suitable for ablation can be visuallydistinguished from the regions of space deemed not suitable for ablationin the graphical representation displayed according to the instructionsof block 802. In this regard, the graphical representation instructionsfor visually distinguishing the regions of space deemed suitable forablation from the regions of space deemed not suitable for ablation mayreside in block 804 or in 802, according to some embodiments. In anyevent, these graphical representation instructions (e.g., graphicalrepresentation instructions included in a program) may be configured, insome embodiments, to cause an input-output device system (e.g.,input-output device system 120 or 320) to display a graphicalrepresentation of at least a portion of a transducer-based device.

In some embodiments, like the above-discussion with respect to blocks708 and 702, the graphical representation instructions may includeinstructions configured to cause the input-output device system todisplay the graphical elements 501 that are associated with transducersets including the ablation-ready transducers with a first set of visualcharacteristics and to display the graphical elements 501 that areassociated with transducer sets including the not-ablation-readytransducers with a second set of visual characteristics different thanthe first set of visual characteristics. In some embodiments, the firstset of visual characteristics, the second set of visual characteristics,or both the first and the second sets of visual characteristics eachincludes a plurality of different visual characteristics. Differentvisual characteristics can include different colors, opacities, hues,intensities, shading, patterns, shapes or the addition or removal of anydisplayed information suitable for distinguishing an ablation-readytransducer from a not-ablation-ready transducer. In the embodiment ofFIGS. 5C and 5D, transducer graphical elements 502 that are positionedover any of the regions 525 (e.g., transducer graphical elements 502associated with not-ablation-ready transducers) are displayed withdifferent visual characteristics (e.g., a thick line circle in thisembodiment) than the transducers graphical elements 502 that are notpositioned over any of the regions 525 (e.g., transducer graphicalelements 502 associated with the ablation-ready transducers).

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D, only the betweengraphical elements 504 that are each associated with a corresponding setof transducers (e.g., a corresponding pair of transducers in thisembodiment) that includes only ablation-ready transducers are displayed.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D, only the betweengraphical elements 504 that are each associated with a respective regionof space that is located between a corresponding pair of transducersthat includes only ablation-ready transducers are displayed. In theembodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D, only the between graphicalelements 504 that are each associated with a respective region of spacethat does not include any transducer and does not include any portion ofa region of spaced deemed, based at least on the transducer data, notacceptable for ablation are displayed.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D, each of the betweengraphical elements 504 that is associated with a corresponding set oftransducers (e.g., a corresponding pair of transducers in thisembodiment) that includes at least one not-ablation-ready transducers isnot displayed. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D, each ofthe between graphical elements 504 that is associated with a region ofspace between a corresponding pair of transducers that includes at leastone not-ablation-ready transducer is not displayed. In the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D, each of the between graphical elements504 that is associated with a region of space that does not include anytransducer but does include a portion of a region of spaced deemed,based at least on the transducer data, not acceptable for ablation(e.g., a region 525) is not displayed.

Moving on to a discussion of blocks 806 and 808 in FIG. 8, which maycorrespond to block 710 in some embodiments, block 806 of method 800includes ablation request instructions (e.g., instructions provided by aprogram) configured to cause the data processing device system (e.g.,data processing device systems 110 or 310) to process an ablationrequest received from the input-output device system, the ablationrequest configured to request ablation by at least some of the pluralityof transducers of the transducer-based device.

In some embodiments, the ablation request associated with block 806 maybe considered part of a selection of one or more graphical elementsaccording to the instructions of block 710 in FIG. 7A in someembodiments. Block 808 represents instructions associated with such aselection according to some embodiments. As discussed above, theselection instructions associated with block 710 may configure the dataprocessing device system to receive a selection, via the input-outputdevice system (e.g., again exemplified by input-output device system 120or 320) of at least some of the graphical elements (e.g., graphicalelements 501, 601) provided in the graphical representation. In someembodiments, the selection instructions associated with block 710 causethe data processing device system to receive, via the input-outputdevice system, a selection of at least some of the graphical elements501 associated with the transducers including activation-readytransducers. Block 808, in some embodiments, includes selectioninstructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program), which configurethe data processing device system (e.g., again exemplified by dataprocessing device systems 110 or 310) to cause selection of variousgraphical elements. In some embodiments, the caused selection includesreceiving, via the input-output device system (e.g., again exemplifiedby input-output device systems 120, 320) a selection of the graphicalelements 501 associated with at least some of the transducers, the atleast some of the transducers including ablation-ready transducers. Insome embodiments, each of the graphical elements 501 associated with theat least some of the transducers is independently selectable. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5E, first between graphical element 504 apositioned between the first and the second transducer graphicalelements 502 a, 502 b respectively identified by identification labels513 as “Q:6” and “R:6” has been selected via the input-output devicesystem. In this example embodiment, the ablation request instructions ofblock 806 include the instructions of block 808. In this exampleembodiment, the ablation request associated with the instructions ofblock 806 is made at least in part by making a selection of the at leastsome of the graphical elements 501 associated with the instructions ofblock 808.

It is noted that in some embodiments (e.g., embodiments whereablation-ready transducers and not-ablation-ready transducers areselectable in accordance with blocks 806 or 808), the method 800 mayinclude determination instructions (e.g., instructions provided by aprogram) (not shown, but could be shown connected (immediately)downstream of block 806 and (immediately) upstream of block 822)configured to cause the data processing device system to determinewhether an ablation-requested transducer set including the at least someof the plurality of transducers selected in accordance with blocks 806or 808 includes a not-ablation-ready transducer. In this case, themethod 800 may include ablation denial instructions (e.g., instructionsprovided in a program) configured to, if it is determined according tothe determination instructions that the ablation-requested transducerset includes the not-ablation-ready transducer, deny the ablationrequest. In some embodiments, the ablation denial instructions areconfigured to deny the ablation request at least with respect to thenot-ablation-ready transducer in the ablation-requested transducer setif it is determined according to the determination instructions that theablation-requested transducer set includes the not-ablation-readytransducer. In some embodiments, the ablation denial instructions cantake a form of non-activation instructions (e.g., instructions providedby a program) associated with block 822 in FIG. 8, which, in someembodiments, are configured to cause the data processing device systemto prevent energy from the energy source device system from beingdelivered to each of the plurality of not-ablation-ready transducersidentified according to block 804 or block 708. An example of preventingenergy from being delivered would be for the data processing devicesystem to reject all or a portion of an instruction received, forexample, from a user via the input-output device system, to performablation involving not-ablation ready transducers.

Block 812 of method 800 includes instructions (e.g., instructionsprovided in a program) configured to, in response to receivingindependent selections of graphical elements in accordance with block808, cause the input-output device system to change a visualcharacteristic of the selected graphical elements 501 during a timeinterval that occurs during the receiving of the independent selections,after a completion of the receiving of the independent selections, orboth during the receiving of the independent selections and after acompletion of the receiving of the independent selections. In someembodiments, the selected graphical elements 501 include a selectedbetween graphical element 504 a as shown in FIG. 5E. Changing the visualcharacteristic of the selected between graphical element 504 a mayinclude changing a color, opacity, hue, intensity, shading, pattern,shape or the addition or removal of any displayed information suitablefor indicating that the selection has occurred. In this embodiment, theselected between graphical element 504 a is modified to include anelongated graphical portion 530 having differing visual characteristics.In some embodiments, block 812 can include additional instructionsconfigured to cause the input-output device system to change a visualcharacteristic of at least one (e.g., both in this illustratedembodiment) of the first and the second transducer graphical elements502 a, 502 b respectively identified by identification labels 513 as“Q:6” and “R:6” during the time interval. In this example embodiment athicker border is provided around each of the first and the secondtransducer graphical elements 502 a, 502 b upon receiving the selection.

In a similar fashion, a visual characteristics of others of thegraphical elements 501 (e.g., including transducer graphical elements502) may change upon their selection in accordance with the instructionsof block 808. For example, as shown in FIG. 5F additional betweengraphical elements 504 (e.g., including second between graphical 504 b)have been selected in accordance with the instructions of block 808 withthe visual characteristics of the selected additional between graphicalelements 504 changing in accordance with the instructions of block 812.For clarity, only the identification labels 513 associated with thetransducer graphical elements 502 associated with the pair oftransducers associated with each of the selected between graphicalelements 504 is shown in FIGS. 5E and 5F. In this illustratedembodiment, each of the selected between graphical elements 504 in FIGS.5E and 5F were independently selected.

It should be noted that, although the above discussion regardingchanging of visual characteristics occurs within the context of FIG. 8,block 812, such discussion can also apply to any discussions hereinregarding changing of visual characteristics in some embodiments.

Block 814 of method 800 includes instructions (e.g., instructionsprovided in a program) configured to cause the input-output devicesystem to display a respective electrogram 535 (only two called out ineach of FIGS. 5E and 5F) for each transducer of the pair of transducersassociated with each of the selected between graphical elements 504(e.g., selected according to the instructions of block 808 or 710). Inthis example embodiment, each electrogram 535 is identified with anidentifier 536 that provides information corresponding to theidentification label 513 associated with a respective one of thetransducer graphical elements 502. In this example embodiment, eachelectrogram 535 is provided on the basis of transducer data provided bya transducer of the respective pair of transducers associated with aselected between graphical element 504. In this example embodiment, asingle electrogram 535 would also be displayed if a transducer graphicalelement 502 were to be individually selected, the single electrogram 535being provided on the basis of transducer data provided by therespective transducer associated with the selected single transducergraphical element 502. In some example embodiments, block 814 includesinstructions configured to cause the input-output device system todisplay a combined electrogram (e.g., a bipolar electrogram) from thepair of transducers associated with each of the selected betweengraphical elements 504. It is noted that some of the electrograms 535not shown in the graphical representation shown in FIG. 5F may be viewedby operation of scroll bar 528 via the input-output device system. It isalso noted that, although block 814 is shown as immediately following anablation request according to block 806, block 814, in some embodiments,is not dependent upon receipt of an ablation request, and may operateindependently any time a graphical element is selected.

Block 816 of method 800 includes path-display instructions (e.g.,instructions provided in a program) configured to, in response toreceiving the independent selections (e.g., selected according to theinstructions of block 808 or 710) of between graphical elements 504,cause the graphical representation to include a displayed visualrepresentation of a path 537 passing through at least a portion of eachof the selected between graphical elements 504, during a time intervalthat occurs (a) during the receiving of the independent selections, (b)after a completion of the receiving of the independent selections, orboth (a) and (b). In this embodiment, the displayed visualrepresentation of the path extends between at least two of the pluralityof rows 510 and between at least two of the plurality of columns 512. Inthis embodiment, path 537 surrounds a region 525 (e.g., one of theregions 525 c). In this example embodiment, path 537 is a contiguouspath. In this example embodiment, path 537 is a closed path. In thisembodiment, the path display instructions of block 816 are furtherconfigured to cause the displayed visual representation of the path 537to pass through at least some of the transducer graphical elements 502associated with the transducers between which the regions of spaceassociated with the selected between graphical elements 504 respectivelyreside. In some example embodiments (e.g., a visual or graphicalrepresentation (e.g., 600 in FIG. 6) provided by a graphical interface(e.g., FIG. 6)), the displayed visual representation of the path 537includes a path segment that proceeds diagonally between a first nodelocated at a first junction of a first one of the plurality of columns(e.g., columns 612) and a first one of the plurality of rows (e.g., rows610) and a second node located at a second junction of a second one ofthe plurality of columns (e.g., columns 612) and a second one of theplurality of rows (e.g., rows 610), the first junction being differentthan the second junction. In this embodiment the path-displayinstructions of block 816 include instructions configured to cause thedisplayed graphical representation to change, during the time interval,a visual characteristic of the selected between graphical element 504 atleast as part of forming the displayed visual representation of the path537 (e.g., via elongated portion 530 in this embodiment). In thisexample embodiment, the path-display instructions of block 816 includeinstructions configured to cause the displayed graphical representationto change, during the time interval, a visual characteristic of at leastsome of the transducer graphical elements 502 associated with thetransducers in the pairs of the transducers between which the regions ofspace associated with the selected between graphical elements 504respectively reside. In some embodiments, the path 537 represents anablation path or proposed or intended ablation path.

Block 810 of method 800 (which could represent a particular subset ofimplementations of block 712 in FIG. 7A in some embodiments) includesactivation instructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program)configured to, in response to receiving the ablation request from theinput-output device system, cause, via the input-output device system,energy from an energy source device system (e.g., energy source devicesystem 340) to be delivered to each of the ablation-ready transducers ofthe at least some of the at least some of transducers in which ablationwas requested by as per block 806, the activation instructionsconfigured to cause the energy delivery to occur during the timeinterval. In this example embodiment, a selection of the control button538 identified as “Ablate” in response to a user action via theinput-output device system can cause execution of the activationinstructions. In this example embodiment, the activation instructions ofblock 810 of method 800 include instructions (e.g., instructionsprovided in a program) configured to, in response to receiving theindependent selections of between graphical elements 504 in accordancewith selection instructions included in block 808, cause activation, viathe input-output device system, of each of the pairs of the transducersbetween which the respective regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements 504 respectively reside, theactivation instructions configured to cause the activation to occurduring the time interval. In this embodiment, the activationinstructions include instructions configured to, in response toreceiving the independent selections of the between graphical elements504 cause energy from the energy source device system (e.g., energysource device system 340) to deliver energy to each of the pairs of thetransducers between which the regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements 504 respectively reside, theactivation instructions configured to cause the energy delivery to occurduring the time interval. In this example embodiment, the energy istissue-ablation energy and the path 537 is representative of an ablationpath. In some embodiments, the activation instructions includeinstructions configured to, in response to receiving the independentselections of the between graphical elements 504 cause monopolaractivation of the transducers in each of the pairs of the transducersbetween which the regions of space associated with the selected betweengraphical elements 504 respectively reside, the activation instructionsconfigured to cause the monopolar activation to occur during the timeinterval. In some embodiments, the activation instructions includeinstructions configured to, in response to receiving the independentselections of the between graphical elements 504 cause bipolaractivation between the respective transducers in each of the pairs ofthe transducers between which the regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements 504 respectively reside, theactivation instructions configured to cause the bipolar activation tooccur during the time interval. In this regard, the energy may bedelivered in a manner that (a) a portion of the energy delivered to afirst transducer of each pair of the transducers is transmitted by thefirst transducer, (b) a portion of the energy delivered to a secondtransducer of each pair of the transducers is transmitted by the secondtransducer, or both (a) and (b). In this regard, an indifferentelectrode may be arranged to receive a portion of the energy deliveredto at least one of the transducers of each of the pairs of thetransducers between which the regions of space associated with theselected between graphical elements 504 respectively reside.

In some embodiments, selection of various graphical elements (e.g.,graphical elements 501, 601) is not required to provide a visualrepresentation of an ablation path (e.g., path 537). For example, FIG. 9is a block diagram showing a method 900 including instructions (e.g.,instructions provided in a program) for displaying a visualrepresentation of an ablation path. Reference to the instructionsprovided by at least some of the blocks associated with method 700 ismade for comparison purposes. Reference to various ones of FIG. 5including transducer graphical elements 502 and between graphicalelements 504 continues to be made for convenience of discussion. In someembodiments, method 900 may include a subset of the associated blocks oradditional blocks than those shown in the FIG. 9. In some embodiments,method 900 may include a different sequence between various ones of theassociated blocks than those shown in FIG. 9.

In a manner similar to block 702, block 902 of method 900 includesinstructions (e.g., graphical representation instructions or graphicalinterface instructions included in a program) configured to cause aninput-output device system (e.g., input-output device system 120 or 320)to display a graphical representation of at least a portion of atransducer-based device (e.g., transducer-based devices 200, 300, or400). FIG. 5A illustrates a graphical interface provided by theinput-output device system according to one example embodiment providedin accordance with block 902. The graphical interface of FIG. 5Aincludes a graphical representation 500 that includes a plurality oftransducer graphical elements 502 and a plurality of between graphicalelements 504, each characterized as per above. In a manner similar toblock 704, block 904 of method 900 includes instructions (e.g., inputinstructions included in a program) that cause the data processingdevice system (e.g., data processing device systems 110 or 310) toreceive transducer data from at least some of the transducers via theinput-output device system.

In a manner similar to block 706, block 906 of method 900 includesinstructions (e.g., identification instructions included in a program)that are configured to identify a region of the graphical representationthat corresponds to at least a portion of one or more anatomicalfeatures based at least on the transducer data. In this exampleembodiment, a plurality of identified regions 525 is shown in thethree-dimensional graphical representation provided by the graphicalrepresentation 500 of FIG. 5C and the two-dimensional graphicalrepresentation provided by the graphical representation 500 of FIG. 5D,each of the identified regions corresponding to a particular anatomicalfeature as previously discussed (e.g., ports related to variouspulmonary veins, left lateral appendage and mitral valve).

Block 908 of method 900 includes selection instructions (e.g.,instructions provided in a program) configured to cause the dataprocessing device system (e.g., data processing device systems 110 or310) to receive a selection from the input-output device system of atleast one of the identified regions 525. Block 910 of method 900includes path-display instructions (e.g., instructions provided in aprogram) configured to, in response to receiving the selection of the atleast one of the identified regions, causes the displayed graphicalrepresentation to include a displayed visual representation of anablation path configured for the anatomical feature.

Referring to FIG. 5D, a region 525 (e.g., region 525 c) corresponding toa pulmonary vein of the left pulmonary vein group has been selected viathe input-output device system. Again, various input-output devicesystem components including a touch screen, keyboard or computer mousemay be employed to make the selection by way of non-limiting example. Apath 537 defining an ablation path around the selected region 525 c isautomatically generated in response to the selection of region 525 c inaccordance with the path display instructions of block 910.

Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 8, where an ablation path is defined by auser, the ablation path associated with the embodiment of FIG. 9 isdefined by the data-processing device system. This can be accomplishedin various ways. In this example embodiment, transducer data from thetransducer-based device is used to help define each of the particularregions 525 as well as additional regions other than the regions 525that can accommodate an ablation path configured for the anatomicalfeature corresponding to a selected region. In this example embodiment,the visual representation of the ablation path (e.g., represented bypath 537) passes at least proximate to each of at least some thetransducer graphical elements 502 associated with the transducersassociated with the particular ones of the additional regions positionedat least proximate region 525 c. In some example embodiments, the visualrepresentation of the ablation path passes at least proximate to each ofat least some of the between graphical elements 504 (e.g., through thebetween graphical elements 504 in this embodiment) associated with pairsof the transducers associated with the particular ones of the additionalregions positioned at least proximate region 525 c. In some exampleembodiments, at least some of the transducers are deemed anatomicalfeature-specific transducers (e.g., transducers associated with aparticular one of the anatomical features) based at least on thetransducer data while others of the transducers are deemednot-anatomical feature-specific transducers (e.g., transducers notassociated with a particular one of the anatomical features) based atleast on the transducer data. In various example embodiments, method 900includes instructions (not shown) (e.g., instructions provided in aprogram) configured to cause the data processing device system todetermine the ablation path based at least on a determination of aproximity of various ones of the not-anatomical feature-specifictransducers to various ones of the anatomical feature-specific featuresassociated with an anatomical feature corresponding selected region 525.In some of these various example embodiments, the path-displayinstructions of block 910 includes instructions configured to, inresponse to receiving the selection of the at least one of theidentified regions, cause the displayed graphical representation toinclude the displayed visual representation of an ablation pathconfigured for the anatomical feature based at least on (a) anidentification of the transducer graphical elements 502 associated withthe various ones of the not-anatomical feature-specific transducers, (b)an identification of the between graphical elements 504 associated withpairs of the various ones of the not-anatomical feature-specifictransducers, or both (a) and (b).

In this example embodiment, the path-display instructions are configuredto, in response to receiving the selection of the identified region 525c, cause the displayed visual representation of the ablation path tosurround the identified region 525 c. In this example embodiment, thepath-display instructions are configured to, in response to receivingthe selection of the identified region 525 c, cause the displayed visualrepresentation of the ablation path to continuously surround theidentified region 525 c. In some example embodiments, the respectiveablation paths associated with different ones of at least two selectedones of the identified regions 525 may have different configurations(e.g., shape, continuity). In some example embodiments, the transducerdata includes data associated with an electrical characteristic (e.g.,impedance) of tissue within a bodily cavity in which the transducerbased-device or a portion thereof is receivable or positionable. In someexample embodiments, the transducer data includes data associated with aflow characteristic of fluid within a bodily cavity in which thetransducer-based device or a portion thereof is receivable orpositionable.

In this example embodiment, block 912 of method 900 includesinstructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program) configured to,in response to receiving the selection of the identified region 525,cause the input-output device system to vary a visual characteristic ofeach of at least some of the graphical elements 501. In this exampleembodiment, a visual characteristic of each of at least some of thetransducer graphical elements 502 and each of at least some of thebetween graphical elements 504 is changed.

In this example embodiment, block 914 of method 900 includespath-acceptance instructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program)configured to cause the data processing device system to receive anacceptance of the visual representation of the ablation path based atleast on a user response via the input-output device system.

In this example embodiment, block 916 of method 900 includes activationinstructions (e.g., instructions provided in a program) configured to,in response to receiving the acceptance, cause, via the input-outputdevice system, energy from an energy source device system (e.g., energysource device system 340) to be delivered to each of the transducersassociated with the at least some of the plurality of transducergraphical elements 502, the energy sufficient for ablating tissue.Ablation can include monopolar ablation, or bipolar ablation orcombinations thereof

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the blocks 806 and 810 of a version ofmethod 800 according to some example embodiments. In some embodiments,the ablation request instructions of block 806 include instructions(e.g., reception instructions provided in a program) as per block 807configured to receive a selection from the input-output device system ofa group of transducer sets, each of the sets of the group of thetransducer sets including at least one of the transducers of thetransducer-based device (e.g., transducer-based devices 200, 300, or400). In these embodiments, each of the transducer sets is selectedaccording to a first sequence. In some embodiments, at least part of theselection according to block 807 occurs by a selection of graphicalelements, such that the instructions of block 808 are configured tocause the data processing device system (e.g., again exemplified by dataprocessing device systems 110 or 310) to receive, via the input-outputdevice system (e.g., again exemplified by input-output device systems120, 320) a selection of at least some of the graphical elements 501associated with some or all of the plurality of transducer setsdiscussed above with respect to block 807. In some example embodiments,each of the transducer graphical elements 502 associated with theplurality of transducer sets is selected according to the firstsequence. For example, as shown in FIG. 5F, the transducer graphicalelements 502 associated with path 537 may be selected in a sequentialfashion in the following order (e.g., each selected transducer graphicalelement 502 indicated by the corresponding identification labels 513:“R:6”, “Q:6”, “P:6”, “P:7”, “O:7”, “O:8”, “O:9”, “P:9”, “P:10”, “Q:10”,“R:10”, “R:9”, “S:9”, “S:8”, “S:7”, and “R:7” to select the plurality oftransducer sets according to the first sequence. In such embodiments,each transducer set may be considered to have a single transducer. Also,as shown in FIG. 5F, the between graphical elements 504 associated withpath 537 may be selected in a sequential fashion in the following order(e.g., each selected between graphical element 504 herein identified bythe corresponding pair of identification labels 513 associated with thetransducer graphical elements 502 in which the selected betweengraphical element 504 is positioned between): “R:6-Q:6”, “Q:6-P:6”,“P:6-P:7”, “P:7-O:7”, “O:7-O:8”, “O:8-O:9”, “O:9-P:9”, “P:9-P:10”,“P:10-Q:10”, “Q:10-R:10”, “R:10-R:9”, “R:9-S:9”, “S:9-S:8”, “S:8-S:7”,“S:7-R:7” and “R:7-R:6” to select the plurality of transducer setsaccording to the first sequence. In such embodiments, each transducerset may be considered to have at least two transducers. In thisembodiment, each of the selected between graphical elements 504 isassociated with a region of space between a pair of transducers thatinclude the respective first and second transducers which make up arespective set of group of transducer sets. It is noted that the firstsequence can take other forms in other embodiments. For example, thetransducer sets may be selected randomly or pseudo-randomly according tothe first sequence. In other embodiments, the first sequence may notrequire successively adjacent transducers in a distribution of thetransducers to be selected as described above.

In various embodiments, each of the transducer sets in the firstsequence form part of a group of the transducer sets. In variousembodiments, various transducer sets in a group of transducer sets areselected according to a first sequence (e.g., the first sequencedescribed above with regard to block 807) with at least two of thetransducer sets in the group sequentially selected. In accordance withthe discussion above, in at least some of these various embodiments,each of at least some of the selected transducer sets in the groupincludes at least one transducer different than each of the othertransducer sets in the group. In at least some of these variousembodiments, each of at least some of the transducer sets in the groupincludes at least two transducers. In at least some of these variousembodiments, each of at least some of the transducer sets in the groupincludes a respective pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in adistribution of the transducers. The respective pair of adjacent ones ofthe transducers of each of the at least some of the transducer sets inthe group may have a same transducer as the respective pair of adjacentones of the transducers of another of the at least some of the of thetransducer sets in the group. In some of these various embodiments, atleast a first transducer set in the group has a same transducer as asecond transducer set in the group. In at least some of these variousembodiments, two or more of the transducers in a given one of thetransducer sets may be selected concurrently (e.g., a pair oftransducers selected by a selection of a between graphical element 504,604 as described above). In at least some of these various embodiments,two or more of the transducer sets in the group may also be selectedconcurrently in the first sequence. In at least some of these variousembodiments, an additional transducer set may be selected concurrentlywith one of the at least two of the transducer sets sequentiallyselected according to the first sequence. Transducer sets in the groupthat include different numbers of transducers or different transducersmay be selected according to the first sequence. For example, the firstsequence may indicate at least (a) a selection (e.g., by a selection ofa transducer graphical element 502, 602) of a first transducer in afirst transducer set in the group followed by a selection (e.g., by aselection of a between graphical element 504, 604) of a pair of secondand third transducers in a second transducer set in the group, (b) aselection (e.g., by a selection of a between graphical element 504, 604)of a pair of fourth and fifth transducers in a third transducer set inthe group followed by a selection (e.g., by a selection of a transducergraphical element 502, 602) of a sixth transducer in a fourth transducerset in the group, or both (a) and (b).

In some embodiments, the activation instructions of block 810 of method800 includes activation instructions as per block 811 (e.g.,instructions provided in a program) configured to cause sequentialactivation, initiated during or after completion of a generation of asecond sequence of transducer sets (discussed below), of the transducersets in the second sequence of transducer sets. The activation of thetransducer sets in the second sequence occurs according to the secondsequence, and the activation instructions are configured to causeactivation of at least one transducer in each of the sequentiallyactivated sets. In one particular embodiment, the activation ofinstructions of block 811 are configured to cause activation of thetransducer sets of a group of transducer sets according to a secondsequence different than the first sequence in which the transducer setsof the group of transducers sets were selected.

The second sequence may be determined in various manners. For example,in some embodiments, method 800 may include a block 809 (e.g., shown inFIG. 10, not shown in FIG. 8) that includes generation instructions(e.g., instructions provided in a program) configured to, in response toreceiving at least part of the first sequence, cause a generation (e.g.,via a data processing device system such as data processing devicesystems 110 or 310) of the second sequence of transducer sets based atleast on an analysis of the transducer sets in a group of which thetransducer sets in the first sequence form at least part.

We now turn to embodiments that vary visual characteristics of graphicalelements during transducer activation processes. For example, theactivation instructions as per block 811 in method 800 in FIG. 10, caninclude activation instructions configured to, in response to receivingat least part of a selection of various between graphical elements 504associated with each of a plurality of transducer sets selectedaccording to a first sequence, cause, via the input-output devicesystem, energy from an energy source device system (e.g., energy sourcedevice system 340) to be delivered to each of the transducer setsaccording to a second sequence different than the first sequence. Insome embodiments, during this energy delivery process, visualcharacteristics of the selected between graphical elements 504 can bevaried to illustrate to a user a status of the energy delivery process.It should be noted, however, that the variances of visualcharacteristics described herein need not apply only to the method 800or to the selection of between graphical elements 504, but can alsoapply to any activation process and to any graphical element accordingto the various embodiments described herein. The method 800 and betweengraphical elements 504 are only used for illustration purposes.

In this regard, FIGS. 5G and 5H, show example sequential variances invisual characteristics of respective ones of the between graphicalelements 504 associated with at least some of the transducers sets asthey are activated according to the second sequence. Changes in thevisual characteristics are highlighted in accordance with a KEY providedin each of FIGS. 5G, 5H and 5I. It is understood that the KEY isprovided for illustrative purposes and does not form part of thegraphical representation in this example embodiment. As discussed above,variances in visual characteristics may include changing a color,opacity, hue, intensity, shading, pattern, shape or the addition orremoval of any displayed information.

FIG. 5G is associated with a condition in which energy is beingdelivered (e.g., according to the second sequence) to the respectivetransducer set associated with the first between graphical element 504 a(e.g., previously identified as “R:6-Q:6” and to the respectivetransducer set associated with another between graphical element 504(e.g., previously identified as “P:10-Q:10”) while energy is notdelivered to the respective transducer sets associated with theremaining ones of the selected between graphical elements 504. It isnoted that the energy delivered to the transducer set associated withthe between graphical element 504 previously identified as “P:10-Q:10”is not delivered according to the sequence it was selected with respectto the other of the transducer sets. It is noted that the respectiveelectrograms 535 associated with the respective transducers of at leastsome of the transducer sets to which energy is delivered (e.g., thetransducer set associated with the between graphical element 504previously identified as “P:10-Q:10”) are repositioned in the graphicalrepresentation for enhanced viewing during the energy delivery (e.g., asbest compared between FIGS. 5F and 5G).

FIG. 5H is associated with a condition in which the energy delivery hasbeen completed to respective transducer sets associated with each of thebetween graphical elements 504 previously identified as “R:6-Q:6” and“P:10-Q:10”. FIG. 5H is associated with a condition in which energy isbeing delivered to the respective transducer sets associated with thebetween graphical elements 504 previously identified as “R:9-S:9” and“S:7-R:7” while energy is not delivered to the other respectivetransducer sets that have not yet received energy or the otherrespective transducer sets in which the energy delivery has beencompleted. Again, it is noted that the energy delivered to thetransducer sets associated with the between graphical elements 504previously identified as “R:9-S:9” and “S:7-R:7” is not deliveredaccording to the first sequence in which these transducer sets wereselected with respect to the others of the group of transducer sets. Inthis example embodiment, the energy delivery process according to theremainder of the second sequence continues, until energy has beendelivered to all of the remaining selected transducer sets asexemplified in FIG. 5I. It is noted that for brevity of illustration,energy delivery to every one of the selected remaining transducer setsin accordance with the remainder of the second sequence has not beenshown.

In this example embodiment, the activation instructions of blocks 810,811 cause the transmission of energy-delivery instructions (not shown)to cause energy from the energy source device system to be delivered toeach of the respective first transducer and second transducer of thecorresponding transducer set associated with each of the selectedbetween graphical elements 504. FIG. 8 includes a block 818 thatincludes determination instructions (e.g., instructions provided by aprogram) configured to determine an energy-delivery status associatedwith at least one of the respective first transducer and the respectivesecond transducer associated with each of the selected between graphicalelements 504, the energy delivery status indicating a status of theenergy delivery by the energy source device system to the at least oneof the respective first transducer and the respective second transducer.In some embodiments, the energy delivery status includes a status of aportion of the energy delivered by the energy source device system tothe at least one of the respective first transducer and the respectivesecond transducer, the portion of the energy transmitted by the at leastone of the respective first transducer and the respective secondtransducer. FIG. 8 includes a block 820 that includes energy deliveryindication instructions configured to cause the input-output devicesystem to change a displayed visual characteristic of a selected betweengraphical element 504 based at least on the determined energy-status ofthe at least one of the respective first transducer and the respectivesecond transducer. For example, referring to FIG. 5G, the energydelivery status associated with the at least one of the respective firstand the respective second transducers associated with the selectedbetween graphical element 504 a previously identified as “R:6-Q:6”includes a during-energy delivery status associated with a state duringthe energy delivery by the energy source device system to the at leastone of the first transducer and the second transducer associated withthe selected between graphical element 504 a previously identified as“R:6 Q:6”. The energy delivery status associated with the at least oneof the respective first and second transducers associated with theselected between graphical element 504 previously identified as“S:7-R:7” includes a pre-energy-delivery status associated with a statebefore a start of energy delivery by the energy source device system tothe at least one of the first transducer and the second transducerassociated with the selected between graphical element 504 previouslyidentified as “S:7-R:7”. As shown in FIG. 5G, a first displayed visualcharacteristic of the between graphical elements 504 is associated withthe pre-energy-delivery status (e.g., the selected between graphicalelement 504 previously identified as “S:7-R:7”) and a second displayedvisual characteristic of the between graphical elements 504 isassociated with the during-energy-delivery status (e.g., the selectedbetween graphical element 504 previously identified as “R:6-Q:6”), thesecond displayed visual characteristic being different than the firstdisplayed visual characteristic. Differences in the displayed visualcharacteristics may include different colors, opacities, hues,intensity, shading, patterns, shapes or any suitable addition or removalof any displayed information sufficient for characterizing thedifference. In some embodiments, the first displayed visualcharacteristic of a between graphical element 504 associated with thepre-energy delivery status is different than a visual characteristic ofthe between graphical element 504 resulting upon a selection of thebetween graphical element 504 (e.g., as per block 812). In thisembodiment, the first displayed visual characteristic of a betweengraphical element 504 associated with the pre-energy delivery status isthe same as a visual characteristic of the between graphical element 504resulting upon a selection of the between graphical element 504. It isnoted that in this example embodiment that the between graphical element504 a previously identified as “R:6-Q:6” included the first displayedvisual characteristic prior to energy delivery to the corresponding onesof the transducers.

In FIG. 5H, the energy delivery status associated with the at least oneof the first transducer and the second transducer associated with thebetween graphical element 504 a previously identified as “R:6-Q:6”includes a post-energy-delivery status associated with a state after acompletion of the energy delivery from the energy source device systemto the at least one of the first transducer and the second transducerassociated with the between graphical element 504 a previouslyidentified as “R:6-Q:6”. In FIG. 5H, a pre-energy-delivery status isassociated with at least some of the between graphical elements (e.g.,the between graphical element 504 previously identified as “P:7-O:7”)and a during-energy-delivery status is associated with at least some ofthe between graphical elements (e.g., the between graphical element 504previously identified as “S:7-R:7”). In this example embodiment, a thirddisplayed visual characteristic of the between graphical elements 504associated with the post-energy delivery-state (e.g., the betweengraphical element 504 a previously identified as “R:6-Q:6”) is differentthan at least one (e.g., both in this example embodiment) of the firstdisplayed visual characteristic of the between graphical elements 504associated with the pre-energy delivery-state (e.g., the betweengraphical element 504 previously identified as “P:7-O:7”) and the seconddisplayed visual characteristic of the between graphical elements 504associated with the during-energy delivery-state (e.g., the betweengraphical element 504 previously identified as “S:7-R:7”). In FIG. 5Iall of the selected between graphical elements 504 are shown with thethird displayed visual characteristic, indicating that completion of theenergy delivery to their respective transducer sets has occurred. Inthis example embodiment, the displayed visual characteristics of atleast some of the respective transducer graphical elements 502associated with the respective first and the second transducersassociated with each selected between graphical elements undergo changesin accordance with changes in the energy delivery state. The displayedvisual characteristics associated with the various energy-deliverystates are depicted in accordance with the KEY provided in each of FIGS.5G, 5H and 5I.

While some of the embodiments disclosed above are described withexamples of cardiac mapping, the same or similar embodiments may be usedfor mapping other bodily organs, for example gastric mapping, bladdermapping, arterial mapping and mapping of any lumen or cavity into whichthe devices of the present invention may be introduced.

While some of the embodiments disclosed above are described withexamples of cardiac ablation, the same or similar embodiments may beused for ablating other bodily organs or any lumen or cavity into whichthe devices of the present invention may be introduced.

Subsets or combinations of various embodiments described above canprovide further embodiments.

These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of theabove-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, theterms used should not be construed to limit the invention to thespecific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, butshould be construed to include other transducer-based device systemsincluding all medical treatment device systems and all medicaldiagnostic device systems in accordance with the claims. Accordingly,the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope isto be determined entirely by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A transducer-activation system comprising: a data processing device system; an input-output device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system; and a memory device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system and storing a program executable by the data processing device system, the program comprising: display instructions configured to cause the input-output device system to display a graphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-based device, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity, and the graphical representation comprising a first transducer graphical element, a second transducer graphical element, and a between graphical element, the first transducer graphical element associated with a first transducer of the transducer-based device, the second transducer graphical element associated with a second transducer of the transducer-based device different than and spaced apart from the first transducer, and the between graphical element associated with a region of space between the first transducer and the second transducer of the transducer-based device, the region of space not including any transducer; selection instructions configured to cause reception of a selection from the input-output device system of the between graphical element; and activation instructions configured to, in response to receiving the selection, cause activation of the first transducer and the second transducer via the input-output device system.
 2. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the region of space is not associated with any physical part of the transducer-based device.
 3. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the program further comprises instructions configured to, in response to receiving the selection, cause the input-output device system to change a visual characteristic of the between graphical element.
 4. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the graphical representation includes a first spatial relationship between the first transducer graphical element and the second transducer graphical element that is consistent with a second spatial relationship between the corresponding first transducer and the second transducer of the transducer-based device.
 5. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the between graphical element is a first between graphical element; wherein the graphical representation further comprises a second between graphical element associated with a region of space between a pair of transducers of the transducer-based device that is associated with a physical part of the transducer-based device; and wherein the program further comprises: instructions configured to cause reception of a selection from the input-output device system of the second between graphical element; and instructions configured to, in response to receiving the selection of the second between graphical element, cause activation of the pair of transducers via the input-output device system.
 6. The transducer-activation system of claim 5 wherein the program further comprises instructions configured to, in response to receiving the selection of the second between graphical element, cause the input-output device system to change a visual characteristic of the second between graphical element.
 7. The transducer-activation system of claim 5 wherein the display instructions include instructions configured to display the second transducer graphical element in a first direction from the first transducer graphical element; wherein the first between graphical element is between the second transducer graphical element and the first transducer graphical element in the graphical representation; wherein the second between graphical element is between the second transducer graphical element and a third transducer graphical element in the graphical representation; wherein the display instructions include instructions for displaying the third transducer graphical element in a second direction from the second transducer graphical element; and wherein the first direction and the second direction are non-parallel to each other.
 8. The transducer-activation system of claim 7 wherein the first between graphical element is formed, at least in part, at a location in the graphical representation intersected by the first direction from the first transducer graphical element; and wherein the second between graphical element is formed, at least in part, at a location in the graphical representation intersected by the second direction from the second transducer graphical element.
 9. The transducer-activation system of claim 7 wherein the first between graphical element comprises an elongate portion extending along the first direction and the second between graphical element comprises an elongate portion extending along the second direction.
 10. The transducer-activation system of claim 7 wherein the first direction and the second direction are oblique to each other.
 11. The transducer-activation system of claim 10 wherein the first direction and the second direction form an acute angle with each other.
 12. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the program further comprises instructions configured to, in response to receiving the selection of the between graphical element, cause the input-output device system to change a visual characteristic of the first transducer graphical element, the second transducer graphical element, or both the first transducer graphical element and the second transducer graphical element.
 13. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the input-output device system comprises the transducer-based device.
 14. The transducer-activation system of claim 13 wherein the transducer-based device is a catheter device.
 15. The transducer-activation system of claim 14 wherein the bodily cavity is an intra-cardiac cavity.
 16. The transducer-activation system of claim 14 wherein the catheter device comprises a structure comprising a plurality of elongate members, each elongate member of the plurality of elongate members comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate portion positioned between the proximal and the distal ends, the structure selectively moveable between a delivery configuration in which the structure is sized to be percutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity and a deployed configuration in which the structure has a size too large to be percutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity, the first and the second transducers located on different ones of the plurality of elongate members.
 17. The transducer-activation system of claim 16 wherein the respective intermediate portion of each elongate member of the plurality of elongate members comprises a thickness, a front surface, and a back surface opposite across the thickness from the front surface, and wherein the respective intermediate portions of the plurality of elongate members are arranged front surface-toward-back surface in a stacked array when the structure is in the delivery configuration.
 18. The transducer-activation system of claim 17 wherein the structure further comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion, each of the proximal and the distal portions comprising a respective part of each of the plurality of elongate members, the proximal portion of the structure forming a first domed shape and the distal portion of the structure forming a second domed shape when the structure is in the deployed configuration.
 19. The transducer-activation system of claim 14 wherein the catheter device comprises a structure that includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, and the structure is selectively moveable between a delivery configuration in which the structure is sized for percutaneous delivery to the bodily cavity, the structure arranged to be advanced distal portion first into the bodily cavity and a deployed configuration in which the structure is sized too large to be delivered percutaneously to the bodily cavity, the proximal portion of the structure forming a first domed shape and the distal portion of the structure forming a second domed shape when the structure is in the deployed configuration, the proximal and the distal portions of the structure arranged in a clam shell configuration when the structure is in the deployed configuration.
 20. The transducer-activation system of claim 13 wherein the transducer-based device comprises a structure comprising a plurality of elongate members; wherein the between graphical element is a first between graphical element; wherein the graphical representation further comprises a third transducer graphical element and a second between graphical element, the third transducer graphical element associated with a third transducer of the transducer-based device and the second between graphical element associated with a region of space between the second transducer and the third transducer, the region of space between the second transducer and the third transducer not including any transducer; wherein the second transducer and the third transducer are located on a same elongate member of the plurality of elongate members; and wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are located on different elongate members of the plurality of elongate members.
 21. The transducer-activation system of claim 13 wherein the input-output device system comprises an energy source device system connected to the first transducer and the second transducer; wherein the activation instructions are further configured to cause energy from the energy source device system to be delivered to the first transducer and the second transducer in a manner that: (a) a portion of the energy delivered to the first transducer is transmitted by the first transducer, (b) a portion of the energy delivered to the second transducer is transmitted by the second transducer, or both (a) and (b).
 22. The transducer-activation system of claim 13 wherein the input-output device system comprises an energy source device system connected to the first transducer and the second transducer; wherein activation instructions are further configured to cause energy from the energy source device system to be delivered to the first transducer and the second transducer in a manner that, (a) a portion of the energy delivered to the first transducer is transmitted by the first transducer to the second transducer, or (b) a portion of the energy delivered to the second transducer is transmitted by the second transducer to the first transducer, or both (a) and (b).
 23. The transducer-activation system of claim 14 wherein the input-output device system comprises an energy source device system communicatively connected to the first transducer and the second transducer; and wherein the activation instructions are further configured to cause energy from the energy source device system to be delivered to the first transducer and the second transducer, the energy sufficient to cause ablation of tissue in the bodily cavity.
 24. The transducer-activation system of claim 23 wherein the activation instructions are further configured to cause a portion of the energy delivered to the first transducer and the second transducer to be delivered between the first transducer and the second transducer across at least part of the region of space.
 25. The transducer-activation system of claim 23 wherein the energy is sufficient to cause bipolar ablation of the tissue in the bodily cavity.
 26. The transducer-activation system of claim 23 wherein the first transducer is adjacently spaced from the second transducer along a physical path extending between the first transducer and the second transducer over at least part of an opening in a surface structure of the catheter device, and wherein the energy is sufficient to ablate a portion of the tissue extending along the physical path.
 27. The transducer-activation system of claim 13 wherein the between graphical element is a first between graphical element of a group of between graphical elements included in the graphical representation, each between graphical element of the group of between graphical elements associated with a respective region of space between transducers of the transducer-based device that does not include any transducer and is not associated with any physical part of the transducer-based device; and wherein the program further comprises: determination instructions configured to cause determination, via input received from the input-output device system, of which of a plurality of regions of space, respectively between corresponding transducers of the transducer-based device and respectively not associated with any physical part of the transducer-based device, are and which are not acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers; wherein the display instructions are further configured to cause the input-output device system to display the between graphical elements associated with the regions of space determined, according to the determination instructions, to be acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers with different visual characteristics than visual characteristics of the between graphical elements associated with the regions of space determined, according to the determination instructions, to be not acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers.
 28. The transducer-activation system of claim 13 wherein the between graphical element is a first between graphical element of a plurality of between graphical elements included in the graphical representation, each between graphical element of a first subset of the plurality of between graphical elements associated with a respective region of space between transducers of the transducer-based device that does not include any transducer and that is not associated with any physical part of the transducer-based device, and each between graphical element of a second subset of the plurality of between graphical elements associated with a respective region of space between transducers of the transducer-based device that does not include any transducer and that is associated with a physical part of the transducer-based device; and wherein the program further comprises: determination instructions configured to cause determination, via input received from the input-output device system, of which of a plurality of regions of space, respectively between corresponding transducers of the transducer-based device, are and which are not acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers; wherein the display instructions are further configured to cause the input-output device system to display the between graphical elements associated with the regions of space determined, according to the determination instructions, to be acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers with different visual characteristics than visual characteristics of the between graphical elements associated with the regions of space determined, according to the determination instructions, to be not acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers.
 29. The transducer-activation system of claim 27 wherein the transducer-based device is a catheter device; wherein the input-output device system comprises an energy source device system connected to the transducers of the catheter device; wherein the activation instructions are further configured to cause energy from the energy source device system to be delivered to each of the transducers associated with the regions of space determined, according to the determination instructions, to be acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers, the energy sufficient to cause ablation of tissue in the bodily cavity; and wherein the determination instructions are further configured to require that, in order for a between graphical element to be determined to be associated with a region of space acceptable for the activation of the respectively corresponding transducers, the corresponding region of space be determined to be associated with an anatomical feature of the bodily cavity that is acceptable for the ablation of the tissue in the bodily cavity.
 30. The transducer-activation system of claim 29 wherein the activation includes bipolar transducer activation, monopolar transducer activation, or both bipolar transducer activation and monopolar transducer activation.
 31. The transducer-activation system of claim 27 wherein the display instructions are further configured to cause the input-output device system to display the between graphical elements only for the regions of space determined by the determination instructions, to be acceptable for activation of the respectively corresponding transducers.
 32. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein each of the first transducer graphical element and the second transducer graphical element forms part of a plurality of transducer graphical elements included in the graphical representation, each of the transducer graphical elements associated with a respective transducer of a plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device, the plurality of transducers arranged in a spaced apart distribution; wherein the between graphical element is a first between graphical element of a plurality of between graphical elements included in the graphical representation, each of the between graphical elements associated with a respective region of space between a corresponding pair of the transducers in the spaced apart distribution, each pair of the transducers in the spaced apart distribution having at least one different transducer than another of the other pairs of the transducers in the spaced apart distribution, each respective region of space not including any transducer; wherein the selection instructions are further configured to cause reception of independent selections from the input-output device system of each of at least two of the plurality of between graphical elements, the corresponding pairs of the transducers in the spaced apart distribution associated with the selected at least two of the plurality of between graphical elements having a same transducer; and wherein the activation instructions are further configured to cause activation, via the input-output device system, of each corresponding pair of the transducers in the spaced apart distribution associated with the selected at least two of the plurality of between graphical elements.
 33. The transducer-activation system of claim 32 wherein the transducers in the spaced apart distribution associated with the selected at least two of the between graphical elements are selected transducers; wherein the input-output device system comprises an energy source device system connected to at least the selected transducers; and wherein the activation instructions further comprise instructions configured to cause the energy source device system to deliver energy to the selected transducers.
 34. The transducer-activation system of claim 33 wherein the transducer-based device is a catheter device, and wherein the energy is sufficient for ablating tissue.
 35. The transducer-activation system of claim 32 wherein each pair of transducers associated with the selected at least two of the between graphical elements is a selected pair of transducers; wherein the transducer-based device is a catheter device; wherein the bodily cavity is an intra-cardiac cavity; wherein each transducer in each selected pair of transducers is configured to detect electrophysiological activity in the intra-cardiac cavity at a location at least proximate the transducer in the selected pair of transducers; and wherein the activation instructions are further configured to respectively cause generation of a combined electrogram from each selected pair of transducers based at least on electrophysiological activity data received from the transducers of the selected pair of transducers.
 36. The transducer-activation system of claim 32 wherein the selected at least two of the plurality of between graphical elements include the first between graphical element and a second between graphical element, the second between graphical element associated with a region of space between a pair of transducers of the transducer-based device that does not include any transducer and is associated with a physical part of the transducer-based device.
 37. The transducer-activation system of claim 15 wherein the program further comprises instructions configured to cause generation of a combined electrogram from both the first transducer and the second transducer.
 38. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the activation instructions are further configured to cause bipolar activation between the first and the second transducers.
 39. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the first transducer graphical element has a different size than the second transducer graphical element, the different sizes corresponding to respectively different sizes of the first transducer and the second transducer.
 40. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the selection does not include any user-selected transducer graphical element.
 41. A transducer-activation method executed by a data processing device system according to a program stored by a memory device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system, the data processing device system further communicatively connected to an input-output device system, and the method comprising: causing the input-output device system to display a graphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-based device, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity, and the graphical representation comprising a first transducer graphical element, a second transducer graphical element, and a between graphical element, the first transducer graphical element associated with a first transducer of the transducer-based device, the second transducer graphical element associated with a second transducer of the transducer-based device different than and spaced apart from the first transducer, and the between graphical element associated with a region of space between the first transducer and the second transducer of the transducer-based device, the region of space not including any transducer; receiving a selection from the input-output device system of the between graphical element; and causing activation, in response to receiving the selection, of the first transducer and the second transducer via the input-output device system.
 42. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing a program executable by one or more data processing devices of a data processing device system communicatively connected to an input-output device system, the program comprising: a display module configured to cause the input-output device system to display a graphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-based device, at least part of the transducer-based device positionable within a bodily cavity, and the graphical representation comprising a first transducer graphical element, a second transducer graphical element, and a between graphical element, the first transducer graphical element associated with a first transducer of the transducer-based device, the second transducer graphical element associated with a second transducer of the transducer-based device different than and spaced apart from the first transducer, and the between graphical element associated with a region of space between the first transducer and the second transducer of the transducer-based device, the region of space not including any transducer; a selection module configured to cause reception of a selection from the input-output device system of the between graphical element; and an activation module configured to, in response to receiving the selection, cause activation of the first transducer and the second transducer via the input-output device system. 